The new normal in healthcare is Remote Health Monitoring. Every institution is jumping on the bandwagon. These types of devices are not new, they’ve been around for ages. NASA used telemedicine for their astronauts back in the 60s and since the mid-50s most governments have had a variation of remote health monitoring in place for rural areas. The big difference, and why RPM systems have suddenly hit the limelight is because – as a species – we were forced to embrace them. The 2020 pandemic made them commonplace, made them a necessity. Today, according to Alltheresearch, the global Remote Health Monitoring market is valued at over $1 Billion and is expected to reach over $3 billion by the year 2027. Let’s take a look at what remote health monitoring is and how to leverage this technology into your patients’ existence.
What is a remote health monitoring system?
Remote health monitoring systems are typically used in the medical field — They allow doctors and nurses to monitor patients remotely. They are also called Remote Patient Monitoring devices – RPM. They are technological tools that are employed to keep an eye on patients’ vitals without having to be physically present. There are many different types of remote health monitoring systems, but they all have one thing in common: they allow healthcare providers to inspect a patients’ vitals without the need for an on-site consultation.
Remote health monitoring systems have been around for a long time. In the 1960s, NASA used remote sensors to monitor astronauts’ vital signs. In the 1990s, remote health monitoring systems became more widespread, with doctors and nurses in hospitals using them to monitor patients with heart conditions, glucose levels, blood pressure, maternity care, heart rates, pulse, etc. Today, they are more common than ever before — this is because most tech titans, Apple, Samsung, Phillips, and Google, have begun to incorporate them into their devices. All these companies have been investing in the field, making their algorithms smarter, making their tech more comfortable and customizable, and making them cheaper to buy. From smartphones to smartwatches, RPM systems are now the belle of the ball. The advance in technology has allowed these devices to take gigantic leaps in a matter of months. Money, spearheaded by some of the planet’s most enduring companies, and leaders, have truly made Remote Health Monitoring the way of the future — they have created a rift in the healthcare industry, one that demands practitioners to either evolve and embrace them or go the way of the dodo.
Software, AI, Blockchain — how does Remote Health Monitoring work?
The true power behind most Remote Health Monitoring systems isn’t the hardware but the software — what powers the gears, the chips, and all that fancy tech. Coding and software are how these devices track diets, monitor medication, and its effect, calculate your stress level, and even your kidney’s functions. Software, currently backed by AI, is how said data is interpreted, and rapidly sent over to doctors so they can properly make an efficient and time-saving diagnosis.
The software can be used for remote monitoring of patients with all manner of problems — in the field of chronic diseases, like diabetes, RPM devices can not only improve a patient’s day-to-day but end up saving medical establishments millions in costs. For example, in the case of diabetes, the software collects data from a patient’s blood sugar monitor and sends it to their physician, who then can remotely adjust medications or provide support if needed.
Software is also used for remote monitoring of patients with acute conditions that need intensive care, like heart failure or sepsis. In such cases, the software monitors vital signs and alerts caregivers if there is any change in the condition of the patient.
Key component of a remote health monitoring system
Skin patches, smartwatches, belts, Bluetooth-enabled scales, wearable heart monitors, non-invasive devices, blood pressure monitors, medical alert bracelets, maternity care monitors, ECG devices, etc — all these Remote Health Monitoring systems are at their core the same. Aside from the hardware, which differs since it requires different inputs and tools to take measurements, the inner workings of it and how they operate don’t really differ.
Remote Health Monitoring systems are basically controlled by 4 key components — the platform is built on these.
Remote Health Monitoring device.
This is the hardware/tool itself. For example, the Apple Watch works by measuring a person’s blood oxygen level using a small infrared light. The device, built into their smartwatch, sends a beam of red and green light into your wrists — the reflected light from the four detectors – the photodiodes — then uses an algorithm to calculate the color of your blood and how much oxygen it has in that moment. Most blood oxygen monitors are currently using the same tech.
Each Remote Health Monitoring device leverages different hardware solutions — different tools to grab readings. Then those readings are interpreted by an algorithm. An algorithm that in most cases is constantly evolving. How does it evolve? First, the company itself releases patches or updates, making it more efficient. Secondly, each algorithm comes out of the box the same, but it is meant to learn and become unique as it adapts to the user and uses — it educates itself on each of its owners, becoming one-of-a-kind and taking readings and doing diagnoses based on its user’s habits.
Patient side mobile app
Remote Health Monitoring devices are generally tracked, supervised, and used with an app. The patient can monitor, customize, and inspect how the device is operating and what readings it is getting thanks to an app they can access. In many cases, these apps can be downloaded onto any retail-bought tech device — laptop, smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, etc.
Cloud Database
Remote Health Monitoring systems employ security protocols and cloud-based storage and cloud computing to not only to safeguard key medical data but to work faster and more efficiently. This key component will only get better and better as the years go by, incorporating state-of-the-art blockchain tech to improve security standards, and adopting quantum computing functions to become even faster than they are today.
Hospital site app
Remote Health Monitoring data is then received – in the blink of an eye – at the hospital. They are recollected by the medical institution’s own priority tech platform. The platform automatically inspects the readings, takes them apart, creates a rather reliable first diagnosis, and informs doctors or staff-member of any red-flags. It does everything in a matter of seconds and automatically, without the need for human in-put.
What are the benefits of a remote health monitoring system?
A remote health monitoring system is a technological device that can collect data on an individual’s health and send it to a healthcare provider. This system has various benefits that make it a useful tool in the medical industry.
First, it provides the individual with more control over their healthcare. It allows them to be more proactive in their treatment by giving them information on what they should be doing to keep themselves healthy. Second, this technology has the potential to save money for both the individual and the healthcare provider. Some studies have shown that individuals who use this type of system are less likely to visit doctors as often because they can monitor their health and take care of themselves without any assistance from a professional. This means that if this trend continues, then doctors will have fewer patients coming into their office which will reduce wait times for those who need medical attention and also help lower costs for both parties involved.
