Remote patient monitoring involves the use of technology to monitor a client’s health when that person is at home. It’s often used to help older adults take care of themselves when they have COPD, diabetes, heart disease, or another chronic health condition that requires close monitoring of things like blood pressure, oxygen saturation levels, and blood sugar levels.
Your mom has diabetes and is coming home from the hospital after her sugar levels climbed too high. What can remote patient monitoring do to help her?
Understand the Types of Remote Patient Monitoring
There are different frequencies of remote patient monitoring that your family should consider. One is to have daily data collection from the equipment that your mom is provided by her doctor or a remote patient monitoring service.
That equipment might be stationary, where it’s located in her home and isn’t something she’ll carry around, or mobile, where it’s always with her. A blood pressure cuff and machine that reads it may not be very portable. It’s a stationary device.
If your mom’s glucose meter is the type that attaches to her arm and tracks her sugar levels through an app, it provides mobile monitoring. If it’s bulkier and relies on her pricking her finger to get a blood sample, it’s usually considered to be a stationary device. Thanks to the advancements in technology, many devices are mobile, so your mom can check her sugar levels while she’s out and get insulin through a pump if needed.
She might not need her doctor to get daily updates once her blood sugar levels are well-managed. Intermittent monitoring may be enough, but this is a decision your mom and her doctor need to discuss with remote patient monitoring advisors.
Your mom’s remote patient monitoring team may recommend a tablet that can access a secure online portal for video chats. Your mom and her family caregivers can talk to doctors, nurses, and other specialists about the information that’s been collected each day or week.
How Does it Work?
Your mom’s health requires her to closely follow her medical team’s instructions. Her doctor prescribed medications for her to take, but she also needs to change her diet and get more exercise. You can help her with the dietary changes and join her on daily walks, but the medications aren’t something you can adjust.
With remote patient monitoring, your mom tracks her blood pressure, pulse, sugar levels, etc. and they’re recorded by the devices she’s using. Records go to her remote patient monitoring team. If something is off, they’ll consult with doctors to determine changes to her care plan.
If changes to your mom’s medications or care plan are needed, it’s easy to tweak the things she’s doing to improve her health without her having to return to the hospital. She’s able to take care of herself at home, but she has the professional guidance needed to ensure she’s improving. A remote patient monitoring specialist can help you make the necessary arrangements.