RPM Technology

Also known as synchronous telehealth, videoconferencing represents a major component of RPM. The interaction of patients and clinicians via a video interface tool, videoconferencing not only encourages people to better engage with their health, it also provides clinicians with more insight into patients’ daily lives. It’s also an effective way to maintain trust by extending the face-to-face relationship into the home on a regular basis.
In this lesson, you will learn:

• Why videoconferencing is important to RPM
• How it brings the clinical team into the patient’s home
• How videoconferencing affects the patient-clinician bond
• The positive effects video meetings have on patient trust

Despite a demonstrated ability to engage patients of virtually any age group, some hesitation persists among care providers to utilize RPM due to a misperception that it requires a high level of technological familiarity. Our experts debunk this myth, explaining how most programs are built upon the easy-to-use consumer tech prevalent throughout the U.S. today, which even the least tech-savvy patients often use with ease.
In this lesson, you will learn:

• Why tech-savviness is not required to use RPM
• How RPM is usable by patients of all ages
• Why senior populations have responded positively to RPM
• How consumer tech is used to foster engagement

A big part of what makes remote patient management so effective is its power to collect many disparate forms of patient data — which, in turn, empowers healthcare providers to make better, more informed decisions by offering more avenues of insight into patient habits. This data includes objective and subjective information, both of which are essential in managing a patient’s care plan, explain our experts in this lesson.
In this lesson, you will learn:

• How RPM allows for the tracking of patient vital signs
• Why subjective data helps indicate how a patient is feeling
• Why objective data helps clinicians understand behavior
• Why passive sensors are instrumental in tracking activity

Most people ultimately embrace the technology underlying remote patient management. All the same, holdouts may still be encountered among any population, from those who resist any application of modern technology, to those who simply live in areas too remote for sufficient connectivity. In this lesson, our experts explain how interactive voice response (IVR) can help bring remote care to those patients.
In this lesson, you will learn:

• What IVR is, and its use in remote care
• Why some patients prefer IVR to smartphones and tablets
• The usefulness of offering patients comfortable technology
• Why IVR is a good solution in areas with weak cellular signals

To what extent does remote patient management comply with HIPAA regulations concerning patient privacy and data security? Are private health information (PHI) and personally identifiable information (PII) fully protected? Our experts explain why leading RPM programs are designed with security firmly in mind — involving the use of multiple encryption methodologies, comprehensive system testing, and other considerations.
In this lesson, you will learn:

• Why RPM vendors must follow HIPAA-compliant processes
• The importance of encrypting data at rest & in transit
• Why ‘security by design’ is an essential concept
• Why PHI should never be stored on a device

A major benefit of RPM is its power to drive and track medication adherence — a critical part of any healthcare regimen, the lack of which can be a major driver of costly re-hospitalizations and emergency room visits. Our experts explain how RPM enables clinicians to monitor patients’ medication usage on a daily basis, while helping informal caregivers take a greater role in daily care, further ensuring effective medication management.
In this lesson, you will learn:

• The importance of medication adherence
• How RPM helps drive and track medication adherence
• How RPM helps clinicians see patients’ daily usage
• How RPM helps informal caregivers ensure adherence

The use of FDA-regulated equipment in remote patient management is a must, explain our experts. Since the data gathered by any RPM program is ultimately used for clinical intervention, its accuracy, security and privacy are all paramount — and utilizing FDA-cleared technology and devices helps ensure just that, providing the assurance that universal standards of quality are being met, and regular auditing is being performed.
In this lesson, you will learn:

• Why RPM programs should use FDA-regulated equipment
• Why FDA-compliant equipment helps ensure quality
• The importance of regular audits and testing
• How FDA compliance helps ensure quality in other countries