Use Cases of RPM Defined (4): Treatment and Monitoring of health in a Pandemic

This is the fifth in our series of articles on the Use Cases of RPM. Please take a look and join in the discussion around this emerging field. #RPM #Remotepatientmonitoring #virtualcare #homecareservices #homecare #COVID

Welcome to the newest post in our series covering use cases for remote patient monitoring (RPM). Previously we discussed use case 3 in reference to acute case management.

This post covers use case 4: treatment and monitoring of health in a pandemic

The potential for remote patient monitoring in this particular use case is staggering. The situation has been dynamically changing throughout the last year and it almost appears that the medical community has necessarily taken a “whack a mole” approach, trying to respond to each critically emerging situation as it unfolds. Interestingly, one of the things that has remained constant throughout this process is the potential for remote patient monitoring to enhance access to care, quality of care, and outcomes. The pandemic has not only exposed the need, but it has exposed the potential and accelerated development of many elements of virtual care.

A combination of several approaches will give monitored patients and the general population valuable benefits:

Peace of mind to those that are stable,

Treatment at home to those with mild illness:

Avoiding unnecessary further exposure to higher viral loads in a clinic,

Avoiding exposure of others to COVID if the monitored patient has disease, and

Quicker detection of worsening conditions.

Monitoring chronic conditions when patients cannot or should not come into the clinic with the usual frequency

Many patients have chronic conditions that need frequent monitoring. During a pandemic, these patients may experience increased risk from clinic visits occurring in an environment where the vaccination status or disease status of clinic attendants is not clear. For these people, the opportunity to monitor biometrics remotely and interact with a clinician in reference to these biometrics via telehealth can be critically beneficial if not lifesaving. For example, a patient with heart failure that is short of breath due to fluid overload can be potentially managed in their home with remote monitoring, without having to bring them into a clinic where there may be patients with high viral loads of the COVID-19 virus.

Monitoring for worsening conditions due to the pandemic

Some individuals are at increased risk of doing poorly after contracting an infectious disease. For example, a patient with underlying heart failure or pulmonary disease may not tolerate respiratory compromise as well as the average population. For those individuals, remote monitoring may provide greater and quicker insight into condition status, detecting declines sooner and with more sensitivity compared to intermittent face-to-face care.

Monitoring vaccination responses

Remote monitoring can also be used to evaluate preventative and treatment measures in the course of a pandemic. In the case of vaccines, remote monitoring can track biometrics around the period of the vaccine, documenting reactions when they occur and allowing expedient management when necessary. Eventually, this use of monitoring may decrease vaccine hesitancy as confidence builds within a community that individuals are being monitored and cared for around vaccines. This applies equally to boosters as well as primary vaccinations.

The realization of the benefits of remote monitoring during a pandemic will ultimately lead to:

More confidence in the healthcare system,

A decreased burden on the healthcare system,

A feeling of patient/clinician connectedness even in difficult situations,

Decreased urgent/ER visits and hospitalizations, and

Improved outcomes.

Stay tuned for our next series, “Best Practices for RPM in 2021.”

Kimberly Gandy, Jos Domen, Mary Topping

Kimberly Gandy, MD, PhD is a Northwestern/Stanford/Duke-trained physician-scientist with over 25 years of experience at the intersection of science, medicine, and technology.

Jos Domen, PhD is a University of Amsterdam and Stanford-trained cell biologist and immunologist who has run laboratories at Duke and elsewhere and has published extensively in the scientific literature.

Mary Topping, MBA has 15 years of operational and strategic experience in payer and provider settings, including Kaiser Permanente. She’s designed and implemented Medicare insurance products, improved revenue cycle processes, built business cases, and facilitated team innovation in care delivery.

This is the fifth in our series of articles on the Use Cases of RPM. Please take a look and join in the discussion around this emerging field. hashtag#RPM hashtag#Remotepatientmonitoring hashtag#virtualcare hashtag#homecareservices hashtag#homecare