The success of communication as far as the patient-physician relationship is concerned has a huge say on the outcome of a patient’s health. When it is not as effective, efficient, or timely as can be, then a lot of things can go wrong. For one, the accuracy of diagnosis may be tainted while treatment adherence may also take a hit. Overall, a lot is riding on practices to get their patient-provider communication right and remote patient monitoring may just be the elixir that care facilities need to get there. Here’s a complete breakdown of how RPM streamlines patient-provider communication for the betterment of the entire healthcare model:
1. RPM enables communication in spite of accessibility barriers
For practices that are mostly reliant upon in-person appointments to interact and engage with the patients, several factors stand in the way to impede accessibility and thereby communication, namely:
- Poor infrastructure or lack of it
- High transport expenses
- Absence of transport mediums
- Long travel distances, etc
RPM can double up as a patient communication platform by way of virtual care technology. For example, Aura Health’s virtual visits negate all these accessibility issues, opening up a direct line of communication unaffected by these challenges. In essence, the technology allows practices to reach out to patients wherever they are.
2. It improves patient activation & communication follows suit
It is the case for most patients that whatever discussions they have with their doctor go out the window after a few days or even as soon as they step out of the hospital premises. But, with RPM in the picture, that’s not the case. This technology allows patients to take more responsibility for their own health and consistently get information to better stay on top of their health.
When that happens, communication also improves because patients will naturally be curious about health parameters when they see them changing. Overall, there will be ample ammunition for conversation, and patients can seek instant guidance on how to stick to their treatment plan
3. Faster communication turnaround with access to real-time data
Contrary to popular opinion, physicians are not omniscient and don’t always know what’s going on with your health until you come in for a check-up. It is during these periods of data collection that the doctor can monitor your vitals and understand your health better.
However, with remote patient monitoring solutions at their disposal, doctors might as well be omniscient. These programs afford data in real-time, with physicians able to gather information when needed around metrics such as:
- Temperature
- Weight
- Blood pressure and so much more
With such information readily available, patient-provider communication experiences fewer delays.
4. More time freed up to check in with the patient
In many clinical workflows, physicians juggle all kinds of administrative duties beyond actual care delivery. From taking charge of data entry into an EHR to performing billing duties and much more in between, there’s just so much on the plate of your typical clinical worker. Consequently, time for interaction with the patient is sacrificed at the expense of these duties, which are conventionally iterative and thus never let up.
Remote patient monitoring can double up somewhat as a personal assistant for physicians. This technology can automate repetitive, heavy-lifting administration tasks that often clog the workflow, thus freeing up more time for healthcare providers to spend with their patients.
5. Greater motivation for patients & physicians to keep in touch
The benefits of RPM are not just for hospitals and physicians but for patients alike. The latter doesn’t always see it this way and it is up to the practice to provide education and awareness to that effect.
That being said, here’s how remote patient monitoring gives both patients and physicians the determination to keep in touch:
- Lower rehospitalization costs. Patients generally don’t want to wind up readmitted, and RPM has been evidenced to reduce rehospitalization rates. This can provide incentives for patients to communicate regularly with providers to avoid readmission expenses and other inconveniences
- RPM reimbursements for facilities. Physicians on the other hand are motivated to keep up with patients, partly due to RPM reimbursements, the amount of which is directly proportional to the amount of time physicians spend communicating with patients via RPM tools.
So overall, there’s something in it for everyone to try and stay connected.
6. There’s more reliable and personalized oversight
Physicians often sit down with several patients daily, and it’s usually the case that out of sight, out of mind. That’s also enhanced by the fact that primary caregivers do not usually oversee the care process themselves. Instead, it’s delegated to a care team to take charge of the oversight.
However, with remote patient monitoring in the picture, physicians can have their patients in front of them, so to speak, for longer. It’s easier for physicians to access personalized and customized data for each of their patients, which ensures that they can monitor progress in real-time and keep patients at the top of their minds. This inevitably goes a long way to catalyzing more interactions. Moreover, even coordination and communication between multidisciplinary care teams due to the capabilities of RPM improves as well.
7. RPM affords multiple avenues of communication
Different remote patient monitoring technologies obviously have varying communication features. But for the most part, the majority of them allow for a multi-faceted approach to communication, entailing:
- Audio
- Video
- Text, etc.
All of this allows physicians and patients to communicate easily and better, in a mode that appeals best to the preferences of either party.
For example, our RPM and telehealth solutions here at Aura Health afford all these conveniences for patients. Care teams can reach out to patients through video or audio calls, and even through messaging or text, to gather details around constant parameter variations and much more.
There’s a lot at stake
Good patient communication in healthcare is critical, to say the least. It allows for better patient activation, streamlines more positive health outcomes, and can even improve the productivity of clinical workers. If you’re searching for a patent communication platform to help streamline how you go about patient interactions and generally strengthen patient-provider relationships, turn to Aura Health’s remote patient monitoring solution today. Schedule a demo with us right now.
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