Geriatric telemedicine and remote patient monitoring (RPM) technologies benefit both patients and physicians. With RPM, physicians can manage more patients, save time, and improve overall care without significantly impacting current workflows. Because the senior population in the United States is rapidly growing, it means that more people need geriatric care.
To put this into perspective, about 40 million U.S. residents were 65 or older in 2010. Today, that number has increased to 56 million people. By 2030, the U.S. will have a population of over 73.1 million older adults. Moreover, there is currently a shortage of geriatric physicians. This means that current specialists have increased workloads and are likely to experience burnout. The following article explores how telemedicine and remote patient technologies can help provide overall better care for geriatric patients and decrease burnout among healthcare professionals.
Better Care for the Geriatric Population Through Telemedicine
Remote patient monitoring is a type of telemedicine that can significantly improve geriatric care. It involves setting the patient up with a medical device that they use to take their measurements from home. The device automatically sends vital sign data to a remote patient monitoring portal for the clinician to access in real-time.
As a result of RPM technologies, clinicians can consistently monitor their geriatric patients’ 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 get older, their risk of developing chronic diseases like hypertension, chronic heart failure, cancer, and diabetes increases. About 85% of the elderly population has at least one chronic condition. Chronic conditions are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. They also account for nearly 90% of the nation’s total $4.1 trillion annual healthcare spending.
Remote patient monitoring helps promote preventive care so that early signs of chronic conditions can be detected and treated early. Additionally, 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 necessarily have to interfere with a physician’s current workload.
1) Devices for RPM are Easy to Use and Work Right Out of the Box
It is commonly pointed out that telemedicine might not be ideal for older adults because they may lack technological savvy. However, remote patient monitoring devices are often ready to use out of the box and require minimal set-up.
RPM devices are designed to be extremely user-friendly so that geriatric patients won’t feel discouraged using them. Additionally, remote patient monitoring companies like Tenovi provide technical support and RPM onboarding, which includes teaching patients how to use RPM devices.
2) RPM Saves Time for Both the Patient and Clinician
Remote patient monitoring 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 receive real-time alerts when a patient’s measurement exceeds the customized 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 by adopting healthier behaviors. 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. Just as a person drives more carefully around a police car, remote patient monitoring provides patients the accountability to make healthier decisions and follow their treatment plans. Patients feel assured that 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. Some RPM devices also allow for medication adherence monitoring. This 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, some RPM devices are designed to improve patient adherence and make remote patient monitoring as easy as possible for geriatric patients. For example, each morning, the Tenovi Gateway LED ring light is red, reminding the patient that it’s time for the patient to take a measurement. The LED ring turns green once a measurement is sent to the cloud. 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 elderly 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. This is precisely what remote patient monitoring does. By keeping track of vital signs between office visits, clinicians can ensure that treatment plans are working or make timely adjustments.
The number of geriatric patients is consistently rising, and remote patient monitoring can help specialists manage patients more efficiently. 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. With a better understanding of how remote patient monitoring can help advance geriatric care, your partners may be interested in trying RPM. A Tenovi consultant can answer any questions and provide a free demo of our devices.
