Healthcare is a necessity, and this reason is valid enough to make it accessible to all. The place where people come from should not limit their excess to good quality healthcare treatments. They must never experience an ailment without proper treatment. That is why initiatives like remote patient monitoring exist.
The world knows the helpless situation of countless individuals during the pandemic, and RPM services are a counter to it. Using technology to make healthcare convenient is a way to improve health today and tomorrow.
Remote patient monitoring allows getting proper medical assistance without visiting the healthcare practice. This way of delivering care doesn’t require face-to-face interaction.
This is a new concept, and even healthcare providers are getting used to it. Due to this, medical billing in the case of RPM services becomes challenging. It can be difficult, but seeking adequate revenue is still crucial.
In this blog, we will explore the concept of remote patient monitoring, understand it, and see how healthcare providers can navigate its billing. We will begin by understanding the scope of RPM.
Defining Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)
RPM can be defined as a system or a technology that helps patients from remote areas to connect with healthcare providers via a digital mode. This advanced tool allows healthcare providers to collect vital medical information such as symptoms and chronic medical ailments.
If we decode RPM, it is a tool that monitors a patient's medical conditions remotely (from a distance). It is designed to keep the information up-to-date for healthcare providers' convenience. When healthcare providers receive patient data, they provide medical opinions for treatment. They also check in with the patient at regular intervals.
This technology is beneficial for both patients and healthcare providers, as it offers flexibility and accessibility. Even though it is popular, many people get confused between RPM and telehealth.
Difference Between RPM and Telehealth
Remote patient monitoring is similar to telehealth, but it is different from telemedicine. Even though there are differences, both telehealth and remote patient monitoring are popular among people.
However, there are some key differences between these two concepts:
Telehealth prioritizes real-time conversations and provides healthcare assistance through that. But RPM services give healthcare providers physiological data that helps in evaluating trends, finding flaws, and creating healthcare plans for patients.
RPM is a continuous approach, and it collects data at regular intervals. But Telehealth allows only scheduled appointments. RPM is proactive and effortlessly highlights irregularities in the reports. On the other hand, with telehealth, intervention is possible only when a patient seeks medical attention.
RPM effectively handles chronic conditions, and this is possible only due to continuous tracking. Telehealth also helps in different medical situations, but there is no continuous tracking.
RPM is capable of treating patients for a longer duration and helping them with healthcare planning for chronic ailments. Telehealth depends on providing consultations during appointments.
These were the major differences between telehealth and remote patient monitoring.
Working of Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)
Let’s learn how RPM works and helps patients receive the care that they deserve.
The working of RPM involves everything from choosing a healthcare provider to sharing medical data and patient treatment and treatment plan.
Decision to Utilize RPM
The healthcare providers decide to incorporate RPM in their patients' healthcare plans. It is used to improve the quality of care and provide remote access to patients with different medical requirements. Usually, remote patient monitoring devices include blood pressure cuffs, weighing scales, pulse oximeters, activity trackers, glucometers, and more.
Permission to Proceed from Patients
As patients have to include RPM in their daily lives, it cannot work if patients don’t give their consent. Deployment is necessary for RPM, and patients have to consent to it. With its help, patients can track their health status from their homes, reducing the need to visit the healthcare practice. Deployment allows patient monitoring and succeeds the purpose of RPM.
Deployment of Devices and Awareness
Once the patients agree to deploy RPM, the step is its setup. However, the patients need to know how to utilize RPM. For this, healthcare providers must educate patients and help them understand the functioning of RPM technology. This step requires proper training and the need to build confidence in patients. The completion of these steps prepares patients to participate in the process.
The Monitoring Process
After the setup, the monitoring process begins, and patients start monitoring their vitals. RPM requires patients to record their vitals on a daily basis or frequently during the day. The frequency of recording vitals depends on the patient’s condition and healthcare plan. Every patient monitors their health based on their medical needs.
Real-Time Data Transfer
As patients monitor their vitals, the data is collected and sent to the healthcare provider in real-time. Healthcare providers get this data regularly, and this helps them navigate through the health of patients. In case there is something abnormal in the vitals, healthcare providers immediately get alerts. This allows them to act promptly.
Benefits of RPM (Remote Patient Monitoring)
Both patients and healthcare providers benefit from remote patient monitoring. Patients get the freedom to maintain their health from anywhere without much hassle. This revolutionizes how patients see their health and helps them engage in the good practice of tracking health. On the other hand, healthcare providers get to provide the right assistance in time of need and save patients from adverse conditions.
Merits of RPM Services to Patients
- RPM is convenient and comfortable to use for patients.
- It is ideal to identify early signs of an illness and intervene for the right treatment.
- Patients get personalized healthcare plans suitable for their unique needs.
- It becomes easier for patients to continue with follow-up care.
- Patients get to improve their quality of life
- RPM reduces patients' anxiety related to their health condition as they receive daily updates.
Merits of RPM for Healthcare Providers
- RPM improves healthcare providers’ engagement with patients and allows them to interact better.
- It provides daily data that helps healthcare providers in decision-making regarding patients' healthcare plans.
- This helps healthcare providers in attaining adequate revenue as this tool improves operations.
- It is an ideal tool that helps in intervening at the right time and taking necessary medical measures.
- Healthcare providers who use RPM improve their reputation among patients.
Devices Utilized for Remote Patient Monitoring
RPM is possible only with some advanced medical devices that patients can use on their own and update their vitals. These devices include:
- Blood Pressure Monitors
- Weight Scales
- Pulse Oximeters
- Cellular Blood Glucose Monitor
- Thermometers
Some Common Conditions That Qualify for RPM
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Chronic Heart Conditions
- Chronic Respiratory Conditions
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Obesity
- Neurological Conditions
- Post-Surgery Recovery
- Pregnancy Monitoring
- Geriatric Care
Need for Outsourcing Medical Billing in Case of Remote Patient Monitoring
There are specific codes for remote patient monitoring, and not all healthcare providers are skilled in them. A streamlined revenue cycle management system requires accurate and efficient medical billing. Professionals are well-versed in RPM CPT codes, and they ensure a smooth medical billing process. As a result, healthcare providers maintain a process with reduced errors and adequate revenue.
Eminence RCM is a medical billing company proficient in remote patient monitoring CPT codes. We know your challenges and help you deal with them with our skills and knowledge.
Our team handles every medical billing complexity and makes the process of achieving maximum revenue effortless. We also take care of compliance standards, utilize technological tools, and follow a denial management process.
So, choose Eminence RCM and simplify remote patient monitoring for a better bottom line.
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