Introduction
The rising costs and growing pressure on medical interventions have caused the health care system to adapt to patient needs. Developing technological capabilities of health information technology has led to the wider adoption of telemedicine. It is revolutionary for the health market as telemedicine fundamentally shifts the process of patient care and medical practice. Remote patient monitoring is a health IT advancement that utilizes digital technology for medical observation through the collection and transmission of patient data.
Topic Overview
Remote patient monitoring is a resource that integrates observational data by incorporating biometric data into disease management programs. Based on the existing case data, the measurements can guide remote intervention in a timely manner, which can prevent potential hospitalization and emergencies. Long-term, analytical data is used to establish the best approach and determine the individualized treatment that will result in an improved patient outcome. Patients under remote monitoring experience slowed disease progression, face lower medical costs, and show increased medication adherence. In addition, there is a high satisfaction rate (Jacoby, 2017). This technology is especially beneficial for the chronically ill, elderly, and patients requiring monitoring after surgery. Overall, the implementation of this information technology presents a significant return on investment for the health care sector.
The topic of remote patient monitoring was selected due to its rapid adoption into the health care system. In some ways, it is a paradigm shift for both medical professionals and patients as some traditional practices are replaced with telemedicine. By 2022, the market for remote monitoring is estimated to triple to $1.2 billion primarily due to the growth of the geriatric population in industrial nations (Grand View Research, 2016). Examining this technology is appealing to future medical professionals as it continues to evolve. Remote patient monitoring touches the primary purposes of health care including improving patient outcomes, increasing access to aid, and reducing costs. Having such a broad outreach, the adoption of this accurate information technology is firmly encouraged by the medical community (Center for Connected Health Policy, n.d.). Nurses, who directly interact with patients, are on the front line of recommending and implementing the technology into wider health care practice. Registered nurses who undergo specialized training can work with remote patient monitoring to process the information and communicate with patients based on results. Each medical professional should be proactive and familiar with the technology in order to effectively utilize it in practice.
Impact on Practice
There are several benefits and challenges to the adoption of remote patient monitoring in medical practice. Overall, technology has demonstrated significant success in clinical practice. It reduces health care costs, hospitalization rates, and the length of patient stay. All these aspects are critical to hospital operations and have been the focus of policy and training in modern medicine. Medical facilities are seeking to decrease the unnecessary use of valuable hospital resources but maintain the values of patient-centered care and providing access to health services. Through remote patient monitoring, this can be achieved while improving the quality of the delivered interventions. Chronic diseases, such as diabetes, account for a significant percentage of the national health care budget with mostly unnecessary costs that can be directed to other critical resources.
Slight complications can be remotely addressed with minor recommendations and changes to medications. Telemedicine provides an opportunity for medical professionals to assess symptoms and vital patient data continuously. In addition, with the right logistical support, the coordination of physicians and specialists can lead to improved quality of care, and reduction of medical errors. Information technology provides instantaneous access to electronic records and can be used to provide patients with personalized health management or education programs. The mobility of remote monitoring means that neither the patient nor the health professional has to be physically present at a certain location or worry about scheduling conflicts (Mohammadzadeh & Safdari, 2014). Remote patient monitoring presents solutions to various barriers experienced in a hospital setting, including incompatibility with service personnel, timely access to information, and delay in receiving treatment.
It has proven difficult to implement telemedicine in healthcare settings since it is seen as disruptive to nurses. Registered nurses in departments where monitoring is thought to be significantly beneficial (congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) experienced the system and cited systemic disruptions. The change in clinical routines and procedures resulted in an increased workload and a fundamental shift in face-to-face patient interaction. In addition, it required significant training and marginalized clinical expertise (Sharma & Clarke, 2014). Furthermore, there are technical aspects that must be addressed before relying on the system as a support tool. Cybersecurity is a concern with modern technology, which requires that patient data be encrypted during transmission and protected on the network servers. Privacy and security will remain a constant liability with any technological tool. Also, as evidenced by the implementation of electronic health records, it takes significant resources to maintain IT systems and ensure compatibility. An introduction of a broad telemedicine initiative will result in major system interoperability disruptions (Mohammadzadeh & Safdari, 2014). However, in the long-term, the benefits of remote monitoring outweigh potential consequences if the system is properly developed.
Informatics skills and knowledge are necessary in order to comprehend remote patient monitoring. This is an information technology that is specifically focused on patient care. It works in collaboration with other information technologies utilized in the health care sector, including electronic health records, analytics, and sensor technology. Medical professionals must understand the inner workings of telemedicine in remote monitoring, and informatics concepts such as telemetry, biosensors, and computerized records. In addition, there should be an understanding of key trends in the implementation of monitoring services such as noninvasive digital technology and the security of patient records (Vegesna, Tran, Angelaccio, & Arcona, 2017). Nurses must possess an overarching knowledge base on informatics and technological function of the service in order to address patient concerns or work with the system as a care manager.
Conclusion
It is evident that remote patient monitoring is a health information technology concept that is rapidly evolving and bringing fundamental changes to the health care sector. By providing an efficient method of collecting, transmitting, and analyzing patient data, medical professionals can quickly respond to necessary interventions or changes to ongoing treatments. Registered nurses will adapt their role to working with patients through telemedicine which is backed up by the support of digital information. Most of the challenges to the introduction of patient monitoring in the health care setting can be overcome with preparation and training. In conclusion, this revolutionary technology should be widely adopted into the health care system as a critical support piece of health IT infrastructure.
References
Center for Connected Health Policy. (n.d.). Remote patient monitoring. Web.
Grand View Research. (2016). Remote patient monitoring devices market analysis by product (vital sign monitors, specialized monitors), by end-use (hospital-based patients, alternate site (ambulatory patients, home healthcare)), by application, and segment forecasts, 2014 – 2025. Web.
Jacoby, K. (2017). Remote patient monitoring works for health plan members and care managers. Web.
Mohammadzadeh, N., & Safdari, R. (2014). Patient monitoring in mobile health: Opportunities and challenges. Medical Archives, 68(1), 57-60. Web.
Sharma, U., & Clarke, M. (2014). Nurses’ and community support workers’ experience of telehealth: A longitudinal case study. BMC Health Services, 14(164). Web.
Vegesna, A., Tran, M., Angelaccio, M., & Arcona, S. (2017). Remote patient monitoring via non-invasive digital technologies: A systematic review. Telemedicine Journal and E-Health, 23(1), 3-17. Web.