Popularly known as telehealth or m-health in the healthcare industry, remote patient monitoring is a system that is quickly transforming the way healthcare is delivered.

1. Remote Patient Monitoring- Healthcare’s Promising Future
Popularly known as telehealth or m-health in the healthcare industry, remote patient monitoring is a system
that is quickly transforming the way healthcare is delivered. There are several factors that have contributed to
the growing popularity of remote patient monitoring systems, one of which is the increasing prevalence of
chronic conditions around the world.
In the United States alone, 48.3 percent of the population is likely to have one or more chronic conditions by
the year 2020. This can bring about serious financial consequences as healthcare costs are expected to account
for 20 percent of the country’s GDP by 2019[AS1] . Moreover, according to the Association of American
Medical Colleges, the country could experience a shortage of 150,000 physicians in the next decade. All these
factors will contribute to healthcare costs skyrocketing in the coming years. So the healthcare industry must
keep healthcare costs down while ensuring quality care and better access. Remote patient monitoring could
just be the answer to the challenges facing healthcare.
What is Remote Patient Monitoring/Telehealth?
It refers to monitoring patients’ vital signs remotely and managing the progress of their condition through
continuous assessment of health parameters via remote sessions that may include video-based consultations.
A remote patient monitoring system collects vital health data through medical devices that remotely transmit
information to physicians, who in turn use the data to deliver diagnoses/prognoses for the patient.
A remote patient monitoring system makes it possible to build an efficient and effective patient care
management framework that ensures timely care, thus minimizing the need for emergency visits, reducing the
duration of hospital stays, and bringing down the rate of hospital admissions/readmissions. Remote patient
monitoring also has the capability to bring about a paradigm shift in healthcare, making it proactive rather
than reactive. This is because a remote patient monitoring system can help healthcare providers constantly
monitor patients, ensure they follow their prescriptions, and adopt preventive healthcare measures. Thus, it
also promotes patient self-management and gives them a feeling of independence and better control over
their health.
The Promising Future of Healthcare
Healthcare providers have been weighing the potential of Remote Patient Monitoring Solutions in improving
the quality of healthcare, increasing access to care, and reducing the cost of healthcare delivery. Although
there are some barriers to the adoption of remote patient monitoring systems, with industry experts
developing highly capable remote patient monitoring solutions that can break these barriers, healthcare is
likely to reap the multiple benefits of using remote patient monitoring systems in the near future.
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