Remote patient monitoring using advanced sensors
In this opinion piece, CEO & Founder of Vlepis Technology Solutions Bill Dimopoulos, provides his perspective on the role of sensors in the digital transformation of healthcare.
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic the millions of Baby Boomers are today more comfortable with digital applications than in the previous 15 years.
Early during the pandemic, TeleHealth usage surged as consumers and providers sought ways to safely access and deliver healthcare. A new analysis by McKinsey indicates overall TeleHealth utilisation increased for office visits and outpatient care, in fact, it was 78 times higher in February 2020 than the previous year.
As the influential Boomers enter their sixth and seventh decades of life, and largely due to the cohort’s high incidence of multiple chronic diseases, this becomes particularly critical for healthcare providers.
Additionally, Boomers are aiming for longer and healthier lifespans and independence whilst ageing at home, consequently, because of this high technology adoption, wearable devices will see higher uptake, transforming the way healthcare professionals use Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) as treatment.
Remote Patient Monitoring is a healthcare delivery method that uses technology to monitor patient health outside of a traditional clinical setting. RPM refers to the use of specific devices to measure and then transmit information between patients and physicians.
Common examples of RPM devices include continuous glucose monitors that remind diabetes patients to take their insulin, later sharing with their physician the data to monitor the disease; digital blood pressure monitors that enable patients to remotely send physicians their blood pressure and blood oxygen levels.
User forecasts for remote patient monitoring show the number of remote patient monitoring users in the US will more than double between 2020 and 2025 to 70.6 million.
According to research the global RPM systems market is projected to be worth over $1.7 billion by 2027, up nearly 128%.
However, Care-in-the-Home uses technologically advanced sensors that monitor patients’ wellbeing In-Real-Time and something that will become the next major trend in RPM technology.
Advanced Care-in-the-Home from companies like Vlepis are providing smart intelligent sensors making RPM solutions smaller, less invasive, and wearable.
Although this makes for a very comfortable and convenient solution for the user, more importantly, the technology provides data to the key responsible parties who can track the patients’ physiological data actively — as it’s happening.
This technology, inevitably, will revolutionize wellbeing management, streamline costs by reducing hospital readmission rates, improving health outcomes, and allowing patients to get the care they need, regardless of their location.
In the very near future, Doctors will far more easily track a range of observational elements, ranging from respiration rate, cardiac wellness output, oxygenation, carbon dioxide levels in the blood, and body temperature.
Imagine cardiovascular patients having their blood pressure and heart rate measured actively whilst living as normal at home, and the data relayed securely back to care providers who can manage patient care in an informed manner.
Consider advanced sensors used to monitor a child’s asthma medication usage to be sure family members are providing the right dosage, and as a way to cut down on visits to the ER; or potentially detecting emerging fluid retention before hospitalization — all may be possible soon as Care-in-the-Home.
And when Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are engaged and complemented by these devices, the result in improved triage will significantly assist clinical decisions and wellbeing outcomes.
Now that global inertia has been removed, the possibilities of advanced intelligent sensors will be transformational, not just for healthcare but also for humanity.
Bill Dimopoulos is the CEO & Co-Founder of Vlepis Solutions. A confident and successful business professional with over thirty years of experience in the ICT industry covering leadership, innovation and successful outcomes.
Vlepis focuses on delivering innovative digital care technologies that are best suited for multiple Care in Home situations for a range of end user segments, including the elderly and vulnerable cohorts globally.
With a proven pedigree in delivering successful outcomes across technology infrastructure, software, cyber, communications, mobile & IoT solutions, Bill is well placed to assist and support the disruptive change accelerating in medical technology and telehealth markets around the world.
Learn more about Vlepis here.