Should Senior Citizens Participate in Remote Patient Monitoring?

With a Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) program, anyone, including senior citizens, can collect daily vital signs — from blood pressure to weight to oxygen saturation — all from the convenience of their own home.

Such programs allow patients to utilize intuitive digital technology to transmit these readings directly to their doctor. Instantly received via wireless internet or Bluetooth connection, your health care team can observe and assess this data on a monthly basis — without you in their office.

In the short term, this additional attention can prevent emergency room visits or reduce routine appointments.

In the long term, such consistent information will create a clearer picture of your overall physical health, allowing for more informed decisions or diagnoses.

An RPM program is also a very cost-efficient method to receive continuous, preventative health care, as Medicare Part B nearly covers it in full.

So How Does Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Work?

Glad you asked.

So long as your provider offers an RPM program, it’s as easy as asking to participate.

Visit your doctor, and they’ll ensure you return home with a device relevant to your health needs, such as a blood pressure monitor, or digital scale, or a blood glucose monitor. From there, simply utilize the device on a daily basis or at an interval determined by your provider.

Just place your arm inside a blood pressure monitor, for example. Strap it and press the button.

The instrument, already harmonized with your doctor’s computer system, updates your medical record with this latest reading. It’s there for when they or their team conduct a monthly review of your vitals, ensuring your body is on the right track.

Repeat this process, and live your life.

How Much Does Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Cost?

Little, to practically nothing.

Medicare Part B will bear 80% of the cost associated with an RPM program. A secondary, supplemental insurance agreement will likely account for the difference.

In the event it does not, though, you shouldn’t expect to pay more than $15 to $20 per month.

That additional monthly expense may appear as a hindrance, but if the program lessens the need for routine doctor appointments, or if the monthly review of your vital signs prevents a health emergency, participation in such an arrangement will quickly pay for itself.

Do I Pay For Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Devices?

No.

The device, or devices, will be at no cost to you.

Instead, this price is handled by your medical care provider.

You have nothing to worry about.

But Why Should I Participate?

That’s a fair question.

But when you consider the ease of participation, with the security in knowing your physical health will receive continued, regular focus by professionals — and the low to no-cost — it just makes sense.

As well, the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us all the importance of access at a time of public health concerns and lockdowns.

An RPM program would provide a direct workaround to the problem of having to visit your doctor for routine observation in this event, and it would protect patients and medical staff by limiting their exposure to illnesses.

If there’s any benefit to the last year, it’s likely the emphasis placed on remote and telehealth services. The pandemic, and the need for digital access to services, fueled further development of this technology.

And it is very likely, post-pandemic, that this innovation will continue and become more of a mainstay in everyday healthcare.  

It will be increasingly practical to become familiar with programs like RPM, as they will solidify into a norm. This will provide an opportunity for people to possess greater knowledge of their individual health metrics.

And, in collaboration with their doctor, stronger decisions will be made. Or, simply, quality of life will improve and sustain.

This Sounds Great, But I’m Concerned About My Digital Privacy. Who Has Access to My Information?

It’s great you have such concern. It’s understandable. After a digital scale collects your weight, any sensible person would wonder where and to whom that information goes.

But devices provided for an RPM program, and especially those supplied by ThoroughCare, are in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Enacted in 1996, this federal law created a national standard to protect sensitive patient information from being disclosed. The Security Rule, a subsection in the law, safeguards any personal data of this type that is transmitted or kept electronically.

So, only you and your doctor know what the scale says.

Medical professionals, as well as third-party technology collaborators, such as ThoroughCare, take these measures seriously.

If you have questions or general anxieties related to your privacy, you should never hesitate to ask your provider about their HIPAA compliance efforts.

They will be glad to share the details.

Seems Like a Win-Win.

It is. 

In addition to the benefits described above, an RPM program enables a better relationship between individuals and their healthcare providers. Which is the essential goal.

As much as you will gain from an increased focus on your vitals, your doctor will be able to provide better care. In the long run, that means a healthier you and more efficient practice, able to serve and assist a higher number of patients.

The fact this comes at no or little cost to those involved is the cherry on top.