The United States faces a dramatic surge in its senior demographic, and the demand for specialized care is outpacing the availability of geriatric physicians. This demographic shift and the current shortage of specialists challenge the healthcare system. Geriatric telemedicine has emerged as one solution to address the growing needs of an aging population.
This article explores how telemedicine and remote patient technologies can improve the overall care of geriatric patients and decrease burnout among healthcare professionals.
An Aging Population
In 2010, approximately 40 million U.S. residents were 65 or older. Today, that number has grown to 56 million, and projections indicate it will reach 73.1 million by 2030. The rapidly growing senior population in the United States means that more people need geriatric care. This increase places pressure on the limited number of geriatric specialists, potentially leading to burnout and compromised patient care.
With geriatric telemedicine and technologies like remote patient monitoring (RPM), physicians can manage more patients, save time, and improve overall care without significantly impacting current workflows.
Better Care for the Geriatric Population Through Telemedicine
Remote patient monitoring is a form of telemedicine that requires prescribing a patient with an RPM medical device which they use to take their measurements from home. The device automatically sends vital sign data to a remote patient monitoring portal for clinicians to access in real-time.
Clinicians can consistently monitor a geriatric patient’s progress between appointments and promote preventive care over reactive care, resulting in fewer hospital visits, admissions and readmissions. The following sections outline four key benefits of remote patient monitoring for geriatric patients.
Benefits of Geriatric Telemedicine
As people age, their risk of developing chronic diseases like hypertension, chronic heart failure, cancer, and diabetes increases. About 85% of the geriatric population has at least one chronic condition. Chronic conditions are the leading cause of death and disability in the US. They also account for nearly 90% of the nation’s total $4.5 trillion annual healthcare spending.
RPM helps promote preventive care so that early signs of chronic conditions can be detected and treated early. Many remote patient monitoring services can be outsourced to third-party RPM companies by billing ‘incident to’ under the general supervision of the billing physician. As a result, RPM doesn’t have to interfere with a physician’s current workload.
1) RPM Devices
It may seem that telemedicine is not ideal for older adults because they may lack technological savvy. However, some RPM medical devices are often ready to use out of the box and require minimal set-up.
Tenovi RPM devices are designed to be user-friendly so that geriatric patients won’t feel discouraged using them. Additionally, Tenovi provides technical support for patients and RPM onboarding for care service teams.
2) RPM Saves Time for Patients and Clinicians
RPM eliminates the need for travel and wait times, allowing geriatric patients to get the support they need from the comfort of their homes. Most vital sign measurements like blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose are easier to take at home than at the clinic.
Tenovi RPM devices are FDA-cleared with industry-leading accuracy, which helps ensure the reliability of at-home vital sign measurements. Additionally, clinicians can receive real-time alerts when a patient’s measurement exceeds a set threshold. As a result, clinicians can intervene quickly and check on their patients before complications exacerbate.
Although RPM is not intended to replace in-person visits, it can help indicate which patients need more urgent medical attention. This promotes better allocation of the clinician’s time.
3) Promotes the Adoption of Healthier Behaviors
Most chronic conditions are preventable when healthy behaviors are adopted. Eating nutritious foods, increasing physical activity, avoiding tobacco, and reducing alcohol consumption can significantly reduce the risk of developing a chronic condition.
However, these changes may be much easier said than done. Remote patient monitoring helps support geriatric patients in their health endeavors. Remote patient monitoring provides patients the accountability to make healthier decisions and follow their treatment plans. Patients feel assured when clinical staff review their data regularly and follow up if or when concerns arise.
4) Improves Medication and Remote Patient Monitoring Adherence
Medication adherence can significantly challenge geriatric patients with complex medication regimens. RPM can provide medication reminders and tracking systems. The Tenovi Pillbox is a remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) device that helps clinicians identify when patients are not taking their medications as prescribed. Thus leading to more effective chronic disease management and reduced hospitalizations due to medication non-compliance.
In addition, Tenovi devices can improve patient adherence. Each morning, the Tenovi Gateway LED ring light turns red, reminding the patient that it’s time to take a measurement. Then the LED ring turns green when the measurement is transmitted to their doctor. By offering these non-obtrusive reminders, the Tenovi RPM platform increases the number of patients eligible for Medicare CPT 99454 reimbursement by 27% compared to leading cellular RPM devices.
5) Remote Patient Monitoring Reduces Healthcare Costs
It is more complex and costly to treat a developed chronic condition than to treat the early signs of one. Often, patients won’t seek medical attention unless their complications progress and interfere with their everyday lives. Failing to address complications early also increases the risk of a costly trip to the emergency room and hospitalization. Remote patient monitoring services promote early detection and timely treatment, which is key to minimizing healthcare costs.
Understanding Geriatric Telemedicine
The geriatric population is at higher risk of developing chronic conditions. One of the most effective ways to prevent chronic diseases is to promote early diagnosis and treatment with digital health technologies. By keeping track of vital signs between office visits, clinicians can ensure that treatment plans are working or make timely adjustments.
While RPM devices may be user-friendly, it’s essential to emphasize the importance of patient education and training. Tenovi ensures that geriatric telemedicine patients and their caregivers are comfortable using the technology. This includes HIPAA-compliant technical support to provide patient information that is secure and confidential. A Tenovi consultant can answer any questions and provide a free demo of our devices.
