What will technology be like in 2050 as far as remote patient monitoring is concerned? As the world advances and innovations come to the fore, RPM will continue to take us on a rollercoaster of constant transformation. Chances are IoT will have a huge role to play, with Forbes estimating that this technology will play a part in 95% of medical-grade electronics. We also expect emerging digital transformations such as various facets of artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and virtual care to present new possibilities. If you’ve always been curious about where the evolution of remote patient monitoring will lead us, buckle up as Aura Health Solutions illuminates the roadmap ahead for RPM.
Arrhythmia Classification Engines
Remote patient monitoring has been put to extensive use particularly when it comes to managing and diagnosing heart anomalies. Arrhythmias, for instance, go unnoticed a lot of the time, with the British Heart Foundation revealing that over 500,000 individuals in the country may have this problem but still not know about it. That’s because many arrhythmia cases occur with few to no symptoms.
To better improve the odds of detection, round-the-clock monitoring becomes essential so that ECG technicians can pick up these sporadic irregularities. Hence AI-backed arrythmia classification engines are becoming popular.
Trained on immense data sets, these intelligent monitoring systems can detect anomalies in the data. They help to not just identify heart Arrhythmias but even aid physicians to classify them based on certain patterns or attributes. The result has been faster diagnostic turnaround as well as fewer diagnostic errors.
IoT Driven RPM Wearables
Remote patient monitoring is about to get even more decentralized, as the Internet of Things, or as well like to call it, the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), continues to find increased relevance in clinical workflows.
As proof of the growing influence of IoT on the medical scene, the healthcare IoT market is set to grow by a tremendous CAGR just shy of 26% by 2028. This will bring its global value to more than $446.5 billion, an astronomical improvement from its $71.8 billion worth in 2020.
Wearable biosensors interconnected by IoMT, allow for the seamless collection of various biomarkers into a central repository. That typically is the care provider or physician’s office.
Some emerging examples of innovative IoT-driven remote patient monitoring wearables include:
- Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors
- Sweat & hydration sensors
- Electronic skin patches
- Smart clothing (Records multiple biometric data simultaneously)
These smart wearables ensure more patient comfort and involvement, enable the tracking of more versatile biomarkers, and allow for collaborative decision-making between physicians, care teams, and those under their care.
Virtual Reality for Patient Education
Did you know that 5 in 10 patients leave the hospital unaware of their role in the management/treatment process? Healthcare literacy for patients is dangerously low. Yet, if we are to make the most out of remote patient monitoring, we need to bring patients up to speed.
Consequently, one technology that many RPM providers are currently experimenting with is using virtual reality as a tool to educate patients. This makes for a more interactive and immersive patient experience, which is key to enhancing memorability.
Healthcare providers may use virtual reality technology to teach patients how to go about using various wearables, what to expect from a pending procedure such as surgery, and much more. The use of VR tools may also hasten and improve patient-physician communication, with preliminary studies in ResearchGate showing promising outcomes in terms of patient comprehension and satisfaction.
Virtual reality may also have added benefits for in-house staff as well in terms of medical upskilling. Third-party experienced specialists from RPM services could use VR to train healthcare professionals on using the technology as well as various other clinical skills that inexperienced workers may not possess.
Predictive Analytics & Preventative Care
Imagine the possibilities if physicians could predict the likelihood of a patient developing a chronic condition before they actually do. With the onset of deep learning algorithms, doctors need not imagine it. Your practice can be put into practice with AI-driven remote patient monitoring systems.
Driven by machine learning models, these algorithms feed on real-time data obtained via remote patient monitoring and historical patient records as well. This helps to inform the likelihood of a certain adverse or clinical outcome.
So why use predictive analytics in healthcare anyway? Here are a few compelling reasons:
- Ability to predict trends in terms of disease and infection, thus enabling optimal resource planning
- Predictive analytics can avert the need for intensive medical intervention, freeing up clogged clinical workflows
- Opportunities to elevate operational efficiency due to more precise patient triaging
In addition to lowering overall healthcare expenses for both parties, the combination of predictive analytics and RPM can also improve attempts at personalization of healthcare. This remains an important desire for 75% of patients, as per a report by the Business Wire.
Virtual Collaboration Technologies
Remote patient monitoring is largely synonymous with the management of long-term illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and so on. Approximately 60% of care facilities that leverage RPM for chronic care management, specifically implore the technology for the primary purpose of enhancing medical collaboration.
To further bump up capabilities and reliability, RPM providers are turning to new-age video conferencing technologies, which often unite different care professionals via a single app or portal. Some of these incorporate AI to allow for the automation of data collection during provider sessions, and even for language translation in cases where there is a language barrier among healthcare professionals
With technologies like 5G extending the number of remote devices that can communicate with each other, and cloud computing taking out the need for physical infrastructure, the opportunities to leverage RPM and auxiliary technologies for care coordination will only improve in the coming years.
Aura Health Is Leading The Way To Tomorrow
These technologies are not science fiction but science fact. Artificial intelligence, virtual reality/care, and IoMT, to name a few, are already making life-saving differences in clinical workflows around the world. While a lot of these innovations at still in their infancy, many facilities are already reaping the benefits of their implementation, and you could do so too. Step into the future of remote patient monitoring with Aura Health Solutions. Leverage the power of the latest innovations in healthcare to future-proof your workflow, while enhancing efficiency, health outcomes, and profitability. Give us a call today.
is Aura’s proprietary digital healthcare platform
