Remote Patient Monitoring
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is a technology to enable monitoring of patients outside of conventional clinical settings, such as in the home or in a remote area, which may increase access to care and decrease healthcare delivery costs.
Pronunciation
- Remote: /rɪˈmoʊt/
- Patient: /ˈpeɪʃənt/
- Monitoring: /ˈmɒnɪtərɪŋ/
Etymology
The term "Remote Patient Monitoring" is derived from the words "remote" (meaning far away in space or time), "patient" (a person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment), and "monitoring" (observe and check the progress or quality of something over a period of time).
Related Terms
- Telemedicine
- Telehealth
- Digital Health
- Health Information Technology
- Electronic Health Record
- Telemonitoring
- mHealth
Overview
Incorporating RPM in chronic disease management can significantly improve an individual's quality of life. It allows patients to maintain independence, prevent complications, and minimize personal costs. RPM facilitates these goals by delivering care right to the home. In addition, it supports and enhances health care providers' abilities to monitor patients in real-time and adjust treatment plans when needed.
Benefits
RPM programs can be disease-specific and offer numerous benefits to both patients and healthcare providers. For patients, benefits include improved access to healthcare, increased quality of care, and healthcare cost efficiencies. For providers, benefits include improved efficiency and patient satisfaction, reduced hospitalizations, and the ability to manage a larger patient population.
Challenges
Despite the potential benefits, RPM adoption is not without challenges. These include technical and infrastructure challenges, reimbursement issues, licensing issues, and patient and provider acceptance.
See Also
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