Effective onboarding processes are key to deploying remote patient monitoring (RPM) programs successfully. RPM technologies can only achieve their full potential if thoughtfully introduced to patients and providers. Structured onboarding in remote patient monitoring promotes sustained engagement. It helps facilitate smooth transitions onto new care platforms — critical for driving better health outcomes.
This article outlines best practices for getting patients and clinicians set up on remote monitoring systems. It covers developing educational resources for both groups, techniques for encouraging patient participation, and training workflows for care teams. With dedicated onboarding protocols designed around user needs and adequate guidance, healthcare systems can cultivate lasting utilization and activation of these tools – increasing their impact across episodic and chronic care.
Strategies for Effective Onboarding of Remote Patient Monitoring
Remote physiological monitoring technology allows healthcare providers to gather and analyze health information without an in-person appointment. Although RPM is not new, it is still a growing area due to convenience and the opportunity to improve patient care outcomes. With frequent vital sign measurements of at least 16 days out of the month, data accumulates fast, giving physicians valuable insights to optimize patient treatment plans.
When patients are engaged, RPM improves patient non-adherence to medication and treatment plans. Ensuring patients can use the RPM equipment you’ve recommended is crucial to an effective RPM program. Effective onboarding of remote patient monitoring for patients and medical staff requires:
- A straightforward remote patient monitoring enrollment process
- Easy-to-understand onboarding materials for patients
- Practical training for those with remote patient monitoring careers
- FDA-cleared RPM devices that are easy to use
- Reliable HIPAA compliance for technical support
- How to identify normal vs. concerning readings
- Continued communication with all stakeholders
1) The First Step in Onboarding: Enrollment Process
First, patients must opt-in to remote patient monitoring services. If the physician has not had a face-to-face interaction with the patient in over one year or if the patient is new, RPM services must be initiated in person. Explain to patients which remote patient monitoring telehealth devices they will benefit from using. This way, they fully understand how remote monitoring will assist in optimizing their health goals.
Second, patients must use their remote patient monitoring device for at least 16 days per month. Physicians can set parameters for each individual. The device automatically alerts the provider if a reading is outside those parameters. Every time a patient uses the device, the reading is sent in real-time to the clinician portal. There, the clinician can access all of the patient’s previous recordings.
2) Onboarding With FDA-Cleared Medical Devices
Second, the physician must order the FDA-cleared remote medical device for the patient. RPM devices include wireless scales, blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters, peak flow monitors, thermometers, and pulse oximeters. Some remote patient monitoring outsourcing providers will ship RPM devices directly to patients.
Remote patient monitoring devices can vary in quality, features, and price. An FDA-cleared remote patient monitoring medical device is the best option. Companies receive FDA clearance when the FDA agrees that the device is substantially equivalent or similar to another FDA-cleared product.
It is important to note that FDA-registered does not mean FDA-cleared. A listing in the FDA database does not indicate approval, clearance, or authorization of that organization or its medical devices. Many RPM devices require syncing and apps. The best rpm devices utilize cellular or Bluetooth technologies with no app or syncing required. This makes it easy for the patient. For instance, Tenovi devices all work with a cellular Gateway. For added flexibility, Tenovi also offers cellular RPM partner scale, blood pressure monitor, and blood glucose meter devices.
3) Effective Onboarding for Patients: Educational Materials
Next, data is collected and securely transmitted to the healthcare provider’s location in real-time. This means physicians have immediate access to further assessment of a patient’s condition, and patient intervention can happen quickly. But does the patient understand how remote patient monitoring works?
Psychological safety in healthcare is the shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. Psychological safety improves innovation and error prevention. Therefore, providing patients and medical staff with written instructions on using RPM devices is helpful so they can refer to them when needed. In addition, RPM services companies can provide educational materials and resources in paper copies, email, or downloadable PDFs. Encourage patients to write down their questions and contact technical support for help.
4) Effective Onboarding of Remote Patient Monitoring for Medical Staff
With RPM outsourcing, some third-party remote patient monitoring companies provide resources for staff training. Consider partnering with an RPM vendor that offers onboarding training and educational materials. Remain open to feedback and address relevant input from your end users. It will help to optimize workflows further and build a successful RPM program.
Medical staff members will want to use best practices in remote patient monitoring, operating devices, and portals, and troubleshooting a care team member and patient perspective. Well-rounded exposure to RPM enhances their ability to maintain clinical workflow and support patients using remote monitoring dashboards and tools.
5) Effective Onboarding With Technical Support
Supporting patients with technical or data connection issues during onboarding sets the stage for patient satisfaction. RPM device companies like Tenovi offer consultants for their RPM devices to help patients when rare connection issues arise. In addition, HIPAA-compliant RPM technical support is vital. Technical support consultants provide patients and providers with the technical backing to address device or data transmission complications.
Remote patient monitoring companies with customer support teams can walk patients through operating the specific RPM device and direct patients and providers to resources such as frequently asked questions and instructions to refer to for ongoing patient support on devices. Providers may also use the Tenovi RPM Dashboard or send data directly to their remote patient monitoring platform through Tenovi’s application programming interface (API). Providers also have access to software client technical support.
6) Understanding Readings: Remote Patient Monitoring Onboarding
Remote patient monitoring encourages patients to manage their health while allowing qualified healthcare providers to gather vital information between office visits. As a result, remote patient monitoring programs have had high patient adherence and satisfaction rates associated with low emergency department visits.
Remote patient monitoring is not a substitute for in-office appointments. Therefore, patients may have questions and concerns about their vital sign readings between appointments. In addition, it is helpful for patients to understand what normal reading is for them vs. concerning reading.
One study focused on the importance of ensuring that patients can also correctly interpret the data. Understanding patient-generated health data can reduce a patient’s motivation to continue collecting data. Therefore, efforts toward changing patient roles from passive participants to active players in RPM require patients to understand their vital sign data. Additionally, setting urgent alerts could better inform and influence patient behavior changes.
Be sure to inform patients what readings will be received and what will be done with the vital sign reading. Have a staff member or the RPM device company let your patient know when you are accepting their information correctly from the device.
7) Onboarding & Continued Stakeholder Communication
Finally, RPM can improve patient outcomes with earlier clinical intervention. Therefore, it is essential to generate data that validates the program’s value to the organization. Early on, communicating and demonstrating examples of success can help expand remote patient monitoring endeavors. Recent research shows that standardization and leadership buy-in allowed for a more efficient and scalable program to continue offering services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Therefore, as virtual care becomes a patient expectation, a solid strategy for communicating with stakeholders can help optimize implementation and grow RPM programs at scale. One suggestion is to create communication templates that support and socialize ongoing remote patient monitoring workflow updates for the medical staff. One master workflow for all internal departments ensures teams understand how one department’s actions can impact another. Medical teams can continue to improve workflows during weekly meetings.
Critical Points for Effective Onboarding of Remote Patient Monitoring
Onboarding is the first step in a patient’s experience with remote patient monitoring. Maintaining engagement from patients and care team members is key. Working with an RPM services company can ensure your staff and patients get the timely support they need while adjusting to the program.
Once you have begun to achieve success, assembling compelling data to justify scaling your RPM program is the next step. If you are not achieving the intended goals, determine if it results from the remote monitoring technology, patient engagement, or organizational workflows. Finally, look for new or better solutions to restructure the program for improvement.
Are you ready to get RPM started for your healthcare partner? Schedule a free demo and consultation today with Tenovi. You’ll discover why Tenovi offers a better RPM experience for patients, physicians, and healthcare teams. No syncing. No apps. It just works—automatic and secure transmission of patient measurements within seconds.
