Hospital readmissions following discharge are a pervasive challenge in healthcare. When patients are readmitted, their well-being is impacted, and hospital resources are strained. Millions of patients are readmitted each year within 30 days of discharge, often due to preventable complications. In this article, we’ll examine how RPM technology is helping healthcare organizations reduce hospital readmissions, improve patient outcomes, and ease the pressure on healthcare resources.
Reduce Hospital Readmissions with Remote Patient Monitoring
Definitive Healthcare reports that the average readmission rate is 14.56%. Hospital readmissions stretch hospital resources and are a major economic burden on the healthcare system, amounting to $52 billion annually. Furthermore, in 2022, over 75% of eligible U.S. hospitals faced penalties because they didn’t meet national standards based on the number of Medicare patients readmitted within 30 days.
To combat the problem, many healthcare organizations have introduced remote patient monitoring solutions to reduce hospital readmissions. RPM is recognized for enhancing patient care and comfort, lowering costs, and reducing hospital readmissions for conditions such as heart failure, cirrhosis, COPD, and more. For instance, Trinity Health’s RPM program increased revenue and reduced costs in less than one year. The health system’s thirty-day readmissions dropped from 16% to 8% and then to 6%.
How Remote Patient Monitoring Works
This section provides an overview of RPM and the technology that is helping to reduce hospital readmissions. FDA-cleared medical devices are used to monitor patients closely. Bluetooth or cellular technology can connect RPM devices to a central monitoring system.
These devices gather essential health data, ensuring a comprehensive and real-time view of the patient’s condition. Real-time data is securely transmitted to remote servers and analyzed for automated triage and feedback. Patients receive automated recommendations to address symptoms and, if needed, can schedule virtual or in-person visits.
Some common medical devices integrated into RPM programs include:
- blood pressure monitors
- digital scales
- blood glucose meter
- pulse oximeters
- peak flow meters
- digital infrared thermometers
Benefits for Patients
Remote patient monitoring can help better engages patients in their healthcare journey. It empowers patients to control their health while enabling healthcare providers to monitor patients closely. When patients adjust their lifestyle, adhere to medications, and use RPM, they can reduce hospital readmissions, improve outcomes, and create a more efficient healthcare system. Additional benefits include the following.
- Patients gain confidence knowing their progress is on track.
- RPM identifies concerning trends early, preventing serious adverse events.
- Continuous monitoring and treatment adjustment improve patient comfort and outcomes.
- Patients become more engaged in their care, leading to better adherence to medication and treatment.
- Patients can reduce hospital readmissions by combining RPM with treatment and medication plans.
Benefits for Care Teams
As well as benefiting patients, RPM offers substantial advantages to healthcare providers and care teams. RPM streamlines healthcare delivery, enhances efficiency, and allows healthcare professionals to allocate their time and resources more effectively and prioritize high-risk patients. Consistent monitoring of patients’ health data helps to mitigate potential health crises.
Below is a summary of some benefits of RPM for care teams.
Reduced Administrative Burden: RPM automates the collection of patient data, eliminating the need for care teams to record and track this information manually. This frees up valuable time that can be allocated to more meaningful patient interactions and care planning.
Targeted Care: With access to real-time patient data and automated alerts, care teams can swiftly identify patients whose health metrics deviate from normal ranges. This proactive approach allows for timely interventions and helps reduce hospital readmissions,
Reduce Hospital Readmissions: RPM helps prevent and reduce hospital readmissions by identifying deteriorating health conditions early on. Care teams can intervene promptly to adjust treatment plans or recommend necessary interventions, reducing the likelihood of patients returning to the hospital shortly after discharge.
Cost Savings: Preventing hospital readmissions improves patient outcomes and contributes to substantial cost savings for healthcare systems. Fewer hospital stays result in reduced healthcare expenditures and more efficient resource allocation.
Understanding How RPM Can Reduce Hospital Readmissions
Remote patient monitoring enhances the efficiency of care teams by automating monitoring tasks, allowing them to focus on patients needing immediate attention. Care teams can proactively address health issues, prioritize high-risk patients, and reduce hospital readmissions through continuous data collection and automated alerts. This proactive approach improves patient outcomes and contributes to cost savings, making RPM a valuable asset in modern healthcare delivery.
Tenovi’s RPM solution provides a user-friendly alternative to resource-intensive home care. It empowers patients to take control of their health journey while ensuring their medical conditions are well-managed. With Tenovi, healthcare providers can enjoy happier, healthier patients, significantly lower costs, and reduce hospital readmissions.
Tenovi helps chronic care, telehealth, and RPM software companies transform healthcare, reduce hospital readmissions for their clients, and create a better future. Contact Tenovi today for a free demo and consultation.
