Top 5 Remote Patient Monitoring Devices
The top 5 Remote Patient Monitoring devices are the:
These Remote Patient Monitoring devices track and monitor a variety of chronic conditions to help Medicare patients receive personalized care from the comfort of their home. With integrated cellular devices, patient data is automatically transmitted to doctors without any patient intervention, monthly plans, or bills. Remote Patient Monitoring companies like 100Plus offer the most accurate and easiest to use RPM devices for your at risk Medicare patients.
Blood Pressure Cuff
Blood pressure cuffs are used to measure patient blood pressure and can be self administered easily at home. For the most accurate readings, patients are advised to use Blood Pressure Cuff best practices while taking measurements. 100Plus provides a device, which automatically transmits readings to providers, and is the fastest and most accurate tool for monitoring and the best at-home measuring technique.
Blood pressure cuffs are best used for tracking:
Hypertension / High Blood Pressure (HBP)
Treatment of High Blood Pressure
White Coat Syndrome
Hypertension
Hypertension monitoring is crucial in early detection of high blood pressure (HBP). HBP is often symptomless and can go undetected in patients for long periods between in person visits. Monitoring blood pressure daily can help to prevent emergencies that often occur with undiagnosed hypertension, allows practitioners to take early action, and is proven to lower patient blood pressure.
Monitoring the Treatment of Hypertension
Treatment of high blood pressure varies from preventative daily blood pressure monitoring in that it applies to patients who have started receiving treatment for diagnosed hypertension. Monitoring the treatment of hypertension allows practitioners to determine the efficacy of the medication between visits. If treatment is not as effective as desired, an adjustment in dosage may be required. If treatment does not appear to be effective at all, the patient is at risk of a stroke or a heart attack and immediate action should be taken to remedy the situation. Monitoring treatment for hypertension allows practitioners to make more informed decisions in the process of managing their patients' high blood pressure and is proven to lower patient blood pressure.
White Coat Syndrome
Another patient application of at-home blood pressure monitoring is something called White Coat Syndrome, also known as White Coat Hypertension. This is when patients exhibit higher than normal blood pressure when visiting doctors offices. An increase in blood pressure is common during stressful situations and is often caused by anxiety, a feeling many patients experience during an office visit. When patients are able to measure their blood pressure daily, in the comfort of their home, practitioners are less likely to receive faulty measurements due to White Coat Syndrome.
Blood Glucose Monitor
For patients who need to monitor their glucose on a daily basis, the Blood Glucose Monitor is fast and easy to use. With daily data recorded, practitioners are able to make more informed decisions based on patterns and trends in their patients glucose levels. If patient measurements indicate that their levels are out of safe range or that the patient requires emergency intervention, the remote blood glucose monitor will alert the appropriate staff members.
Blood glucose monitors are most commonly used when managing and treating:
Diabetes Type 1
Diabetes Type 2
Just a single drop of blood allows physicians to track:
The effect of new medication
The effects of various diets or exercise regimens
Progress and success in treatment plans
When it's time to intervene or schedule a visit
Diabetes Type 1
The best way to manage type 1 diabetes is with regular blood glucose readings which can be easily self administered in patients' own homes. To make measuring glucose as simple as possible, some RPM devices, such as the blood glucose monitor from 100Plus, transmit patient readings directly to practitioners with no user intervention.
Diabetes Type 2
This form of diabetes, type 2, also requires close monitoring and control. Without daily readings, type 2 patients can become at risk for a variety of diabetes related complications, such as kidney or nerve damage, that can develop in the time between doctors visits. Research has shown that RPM and telehealth are effective in managing HbA1c levels in patients living with type 2 diabetes. Blood glucose monitors help patients who have developed type 2 diabetes and enable practitioners to proactively approach their treatment plans.
Digital Weight Scale
The Digital Weight Scale allows patients to weigh themselves daily and enables practitioners to track minute changes in patient data and predict potential health emergencies.
Digital Weight Scales can be applied to:
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Obesity
Rapid Weight Loss
Congestive Heart Failure
Keeping track of weight is especially important for patients suffering from Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). Gaining as little as 2-3 pounds can indicate that a CHF patient is at risk and the increase in weight may signify a change in water retention. Rapid intervention is proven to be one of the most effective RPM methods in managing CHF. Practitioners who are able to remotely track the weight of their CHF patients on a daily basis are able to monitor patients between visits and, if necessary, take emergency action.
Obesity
Remote digital scales allow for practitioners to monitor their patients daily during their weight management plans. These plans should extend beyond the sporadic weigh-ins that occur in office. Tracking progress in obese patients enables patients and their practitioners to establish trends and patterns in order to achieve success in their weight management.
Rapid Weight Loss
Remote daily weight management also allows practitioners to monitor rapid weight loss and weight fluctuations that occur outside of regularly scheduled visits. Tracking patient weight may be crucial not only in finding the root cause of an issue, but in ensuring that patients remain in a safe range.
Emergency Watch
An emergency watch does more than keep the time, it keeps track of heart rate and step activity while providing emergency call services for patients. With no user intervention needed on fully configured watches like this one, remote patient activity monitoring is as easy as strapping it on.
Emergency watches are best for helping with:
Falls and Emergencies
Obesity
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Falls and Emergencies
For some Medicare patients who live alone, a fall can be life threatening. An emergency watch is a discrete and efficient way of safeguarding patients who may be at risk for falling or for other types of life threatening emergencies.
Obesity
Management and treatment plans for obese patients should extend beyond intermitent visits to the office. To monitor your patients on a daily basis and track activity levels, emergency watches are essential. Collecting greater amounts of patient data enables practitioners to find trends in activity level and its effect on overall health and therefore, can begin predictive, proactive management and treatment.
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
To identify a condition such as congestive heart failure, tracking heart rate in patients is crucial. With irregular measurements taken at doctors visits, it can be hard to diagnose patients. Identifying early symptoms of CHF and taking note of low physical activity in patients can help physicians diagnose patients in time for proper treatment and reduce the likelihood of cardiac hospitalization.
Pulse Oximeter
Pulse oximeters are a non-invasive remote monitoring tool that records pulse as well as the blood oxygen levels of patients. Taking these readings daily assists practitioners by giving them a better overview of patients health and wellbeing.
Pulse oximeters are particularly helpful in identifying and managing:
COVID-19
Asthma
Pneumonia
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
COVID-19
Catching symptoms early is key in the treatment of COVID-19, especially for senior patients and those who are more likely to be at higher risk of hospitalization. Low blood oxygen levels are a key indicator. Anytime a patient's blood oxygen level is below normal range the appropriate staff will be notified so that action can be taken immediately. RPM can also reduce COVID-19 hospital readmissions.
Asthma
Low blood oxygen levels can also be a symptom of asthma as those who suffer from the condition often have difficulty breathing and consequently lower blood oxygen levels. Pulse oximeters are a great way to not only track patient progress, but also assess the efficacy of medication and treatment.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia also makes breathing difficult and can therefore decrease blood oxygen levels. This viral, bacterial, or fungal infection of one or both of the lungs may require treatments such as oxygen therapy. The need for such a treatment can be determined through assessing daily recorded patient data using a remote pulse oximeter that automatically uploads patient data to practitioners.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Difficulty breathing is a symptom of COPD. Not only can pulse oximeters monitor the status, treatment, and progress of patients, but remote tools are proven to reduce the acute care needed for patients with COPD. Meaning, patients who utilized remote patient monitoring tools such as pulse oximeters had reduced hospital admissions, shorter stays, and fewer trips to the emergency room.
