Influenced by COVID-19, remote patient monitoring is developing rapidly, which is not a new nursing model. Health systems are increasingly using remote patient monitoring to care for patients with a variety of diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, and COVID-19.
Remote patient monitoring (RPM device) can be used to treat chronic and acute diseases, enabling clinicians to pay close attention to patients during visits or when face-to-face care is not available. Especially for chronic care, remote patient monitoring enables clinicians to observe patients in near real-time, collect necessary data, and make adjustments to improve care outcomes. This type of continuous follow-up can help patients with continuous care needs, such as patients with diabetes, heart disease, asthma, hypertension, and mental diseases, and can help patients with COVID-19 improve their long-term symptoms after recovery from COVID-19.
The remote patient monitoring program uses various types of equipment, such as scale, pulse oximeter, blood glucose meter, cellular blood pressure monitor, heart monitor, and even special monitor for dementia and Parkinson. Another type of remote patient monitoring device that can be used for long-term tracking of patient health is a wearable device.
But remote patient monitoring is not only useful for managing long-term diseases, it can also be used for more urgent and acute diseases. An increasing number of health care organizations are establishing home hospital programs to treat more acute diseases at home. These programs can provide a wide range of services, including diagnosis such as ultrasonic cardiogram and X-ray, treatment such as oxygen therapy and intravenous infusion, as well as pharmacy and professional nursing services.
Although the home hospital program involves face-to-face care, they are supported by the care team's ongoing monitoring of biological characteristics and telemedicine access. In addition, remote patient monitoring can be used to track the rehabilitation of patients after surgery and discharge. For example, the UCLA health system has a remote patient monitoring program for patients undergoing heart surgery. As part of this program, patients use the equipment provided in the kit to report to their care team with a series of biometric data, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen level, which can be tracked by the team to ensure that the patient recovers as expected.
