Technology has a significant impact on healthcare delivery. One promising advancement is remote patient monitoring, which electronically collects data from a patient and then transfers it to a healthcare provider or monitoring center. Without geographic limitations, this form of telemedicine can offer more extensive and timely care to patients in rural areas — or patients who are too ill to travel. Nurses enrolled in the online Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program from The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) can expect to learn more about remote monitoring nursing opportunities.
How Remote Patient Monitoring Works
According to the Center for Connected Health Policy, remote patient monitoring “uses digital technologies to collect medical and other forms of health data from individuals and electronically transmits that information securely to healthcare providers for assessment, recommendations, and interventions.” Remote monitoring may rely on multiple forms of technology, including wearable technologies, smartphones, smart watches, tablets, landlines, email, web-based tools and other software applications.
Home health organizations may use remote monitoring to track vital signs, heart rhythms or other specific measurements such as glucose levels. This is particularly helpful for patients who have difficulty traveling for appointments and check-ups. Home health nurses can monitor the patient’s status between visits and adjust treatment plans more quickly.
Advances in remote patient monitoring technologies — and consumer technologies with built-in health monitoring functions like the Apple Watch — also integrate with and support telemedicine services, or telehealth. Telemedicine technology can allow nurses to make fewer visits to the patient’s home, decreasing the overall cost of care and increasing access to care for those in rural areas. Telemedicine also helps patients and providers stay safe when in-person meetings are not advisable, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Growth Industry Advancing Technologies and Treatment
The success of any remote monitoring program depends on the devices it uses to collect data. Significant investments in telemonitoring technology are driving advancement, as seen in the rapid expansion of the industry. According to Strategic Market Research, the remote patient monitoring market was worth USD 1.45 billion in 2021 and will be worth over USD four billion by 2030.
Current devices and those in development may allow nurses and healthcare providers to track cardiac and pulmonary function, sleep patterns, breathing rates and more. Some devices are even motion-enabled, documenting when doors close or toilets flush. Data submission is automatic, which minimizes user error.
Remote Monitoring Benefits
As the industry shifts to value-based reimbursement, healthcare providers and hospitals are under more pressure to improve patient outcomes and quality metrics. Telemedicine technology offers a solution. With the ability to monitor several key health indicators regardless of location, healthcare providers can intervene and adjust medications and treatment plans in real time without the complications that may occur while patients wait for appointments.
As mentioned earlier, remote patient monitoring technologies — especially the consumer technologies that people already have — increase access and lead to quality of care improvements across the urban/rural divide. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that more than 66 million people in the U.S. live in rural areas. Rural settings, on average, have far fewer healthcare providers than urban areas. For instance, estimates suggest that urban areas have nearly three times the physicians per capita than rural areas.
Remote patient care monitoring can relieve the burden of traveling great distances, especially for disabled or chronically ill patients who find traveling an anxiety-inducing endeavor. Monitoring patients in their homes can help them retain their independence, improve their quality of life and lead to more cost-effective care.
In fact, according to Aura, remote patient monitoring has numerous statistically significant benefits that will lower costs and improve care, such as:
- Reducing hospital readmission by up to 30%
- Cutting emergency room visits in half
- Decreasing hospitalization for those with chronic conditions by 76%
- Reducing hospital stays by two days, on average
Looking Ahead: Remote Healthcare Solutions for Underserved Populations
Technological advances make remote patient monitoring more effective for a growing number of patients. Patients confined to their homes, residing in rural areas or managing chronic illness may find this type of monitoring particularly beneficial. BSN-prepared nurses may discover that telemonitoring employment opportunities can lead to a unique and rewarding career.
Learn more about UTA’s online RN to BSN program.
