Seven Key Features Of Remote Patient Monitoring Services

As technology advances, the healthcare industry is also facing numerous changes, many of them good ones. From telehealth consultations to remote patient monitoring (RPM) services, you may wish to offer a broader range of services to serve more patients. RPM is all about moving healthcare monitoring out of your practice's traditional, physical setting, allowing patients to access the services they require from where they live, work and play.

Patients will be better positioned to take control of their health without compromising the ability of practitioners to gather vital information. Patient engagement can be increased through RPM services, all from the comfort of where your patient is. This can be highly appealing to many modern patients, especially those who live a busy lifestyle or are never in one location for long due to work.

If you are considering implementing remote patient monitoring services in your healthcare practice, you may be wondering about the key features to watch out for. In this article, we share with you some necessary features every remote patient monitoring system should have.

User-Friendly Software that’s Fit for Purpose

When considering offering RPM services, the first thing you will need is reliable and user-friendly software. This software should have numerous components, and it should not negatively affect your current workflow. It should integrate seamlessly with the systems you are using.

This software should allow you to track the vital stats and progress of patients as well as provide patients with ways of self-management. You should be able to log appointments and access patient health and billing information with ease. Another vital thing to consider is how it will integrate with the rest of the data in your system. You should already have the records of existing patients using the new RPM services and be able to access that easily.

Patient Devices, Including Mobile Applications

Now, you will need a way to track and monitor your patient’s health. In some cases, you may need to provide your patient with a wearable device that can keep track of the specific health condition you are monitoring. This is most often in the form of a watch, belt, or ring. In other cases, a mobile app may be sufficient, or the patient can use a wearable device in sync with a mobile app.

Depending on your patient's specific health condition, you may use different access functions within the mobile app, such as one catered toward a particular disease. This can include hypertension, diabetes, or congestive heart failure.

Regardless of whether a wearable device is part of the package, you will need a way of getting in touch with your patient for consultations. If your patient has any non-urgent questions they need to ask you, they can easily pose a question or request via a virtual consultation from one convenient dashboard. From new symptoms to the adjustment of care plans, RPM services allow patients to get the relevant information without leaving their homes.

Personalization

We have already touched a little on personalization in the previous point. Depending on the specific area of concern, your patient may use a specific feature within the app. Further personalization can allow users to log their symptoms, keep track of their lifestyle habits, and provide a report of their collected vitals. This will give patients access to information they typically would have to come down to your practice, allowing for optimal convenience.

Accessible Features

Sure, you may now have software and a device that works well. However, take a minute to consider whether it works for all your patients, including those with a disability. Ensuring that your software has text-to-speech functionality can help to improve the user experience for a wider range of patients. You do not want patients to be excluded from remote patient monitoring services simply because they have a condition preventing them from using them.

You may also want to consider the design and layout of the app, such as allowing users to choose between a smaller and a larger font. Besides patients with visual impairments, this will also make the app more user-friendly for elderly patients.

Detailed User Instructions that Are Easy to Understand

As you familiarize yourself with the new software and service you are providing, it’s important to remember that it will also be new to your patients. For this purpose, ensure you can give specific and inbuilt user instructions on using the medical wearable devices and mobile app.

One outcome you wish to avoid is a patient who does not know how to use their health monitoring device correctly. This can result in inaccurate measurements, which can affect the quality of care they end up receiving.

Data Security

One concern some patients may have about trying remote patient monitoring is data security. As a healthcare provider, you have access to confidential information that should not fall into the hands of outsiders. Before offering any new service, you should think about how you can safeguard patient data security. You should make sure that your software makes use of encryption when collecting data, such as recordings of appointments.

In addition, employees should have access to data based on their roles, considering whether they are performing administrative duties or are medical staff. In addition, employees should also receive education on cybersecurity, including choosing a strong password and knowing how to use multi-factor user authentication. Through all of this, you must remain HIPAA compliant.

Compliance

To protect the privacy of your patients and keep your practice in compliance, you will have to make sure that any software you choose meets HIPAA requirements. Some practices to implement within your workplace include limiting who can access workstations and electronic systems and ensuring that authorized access is in place. By implementing automatic logouts, creating unique user IDs that are difficult to guess, and running audit reports regularly, you can help to ensure compliance in your practice.

Because this confidential information will likely be accessed on multiple devices, you must also ensure that network transmission security controls are in place. It should not matter whether a private network or private cloud is accessing this information; you should protect all access points. Your patients trust your healthcare practice to keep their data confidential and secure, and you are also protecting your reputation.

Come to Vicert for the Remote Patient Monitoring Services You Require

If you want to start offering remote patient monitoring services at your healthcare practice, our team at Vicert can help you do that. We have successfully implemented many patient monitoring systems for our clients, and we can customize remote patient monitoring software to suit your needs. This should improve the quality of healthcare delivery, raise productivity, and ensure that doctors can give accurate remote diagnoses. As a bonus, patients should also be encouraged to participate actively in their health and wellness.

With decades of experience serving clients in the healthcare industry, Vicert can recommend the right products and implement the most suitable solutions to suit the needs of your practice. Our team leverages decades of experience developing telehealth software to help your practice succeed. Other services we can provide are health cloud systems, database management systems, product development, and many more. Contact us today to discuss the most suitable approach for onboarding your healthcare practice with telehealth!