Remote patient monitoring technology allows health care providers to monitor their patients from anywhere using video conferencing, mobile devices, and other tools. Through this system, the patient's vital signs can be monitored remotely. This approach helps monitor patients at home and reduces the costs associated with hospital stays. Medical transcription services play an important role in remote patient monitoring by providing trained professionals who can transcribe the notes dictated by physicians and also document the patient records with accurate readings and values of these virtual doctor patient encounters. The physician can then access these accurate records from anywhere using a computer or mobile device.
What is Remote Patient Monitoring And How Does It Work?
Remote Patient Monitoring is the process of monitoring the health of a patient virtually using the health monitoring devices. These advanced devices record a patient’s health information and transmits it to the concerned physicians who then analyze it. The system helps physicians track the health of the patient remotely at any time, and provide judgments and recommendations based on this information. The processes involved in remote patient monitoring are as follows:
· Healthcare data collection: The first step is to activate the patient’s healthcare monitoring devices. These devices have a Bluetooth mode through which they communicate with the patient's mobile app that collects the data from the device. The device collects information such as blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels etc and displays it on smart phones via mobile apps. Common patient remote monitoring devices include Cardiac Monitors, Apnea Monitors, Spirometers, Electroencephalographs (Eegs), Blood Pressure Monitors, and Oximeters.
· Transmission of healthcare data: This is the next stage where all the health data detected by the devices is sent to the mobile app, which is then transmitted to the respective healthcare providers. Today, advanced devices record health data with high accuracy and also analyze real-time data accurately, helping providers identify abnormal or irregular readings quicker and more precisely.
· Evaluation of healthcare data and notification: In the third stage, the data collected is stored in the cloud or in healthcare facility’s data repository. The data on vital signs is then compared to the upper and lower values established by a physician, either automatically or manually. If the threshold value is exceeded, the system sends a notification to the facility/physician about the aberrant condition. An SMS, an in-app notification, or an email can be used to notify the doctor. Doctors can use this information to identify potential problems and make better-informed decisions about the best course of therapy.
· Taking action: When the notification is triggered the RPM system, nurses, or physicians transmit an alert to emergency responders once a signal has been triggered. If the patient's health data indicates that immediate medical attention is required, the appropriate authorities are contacted, and rapid assistance is delivered. If, on the other hand, the data suggests that simply a therapy change is required, the physician can make the right decision and transmit this information to the patient by email, phone, or in-app notifications. The doctor might also provide advice on how to avoid similar problems in the future.
How does medical transcription help
Medical transcription service providers ensure that all vital signs and health information captured by the remote patient monitoring devices are recorded and documented in medical records. Medical transcription companies support the remote patient monitoring process in many ways:
· They help doctors keep track of their patients' health and keep them informed about their progress. They can also remind patients about their appointments and give them advice on how to manage their conditions at home.
· They convert all medical information into accurate heath records that can be easily shared among the patient’s healthcare providers.
· Accurate information collected using remote monitoring devices and documented in the medical record allows healthcare providers to communicate effectively and provide the right treatment to the patients.
Healthcare facilities are now implementing advanced measures to provide better care to the patients. The support of an experienced medical transcription company goes a long way when it comes to ensuring error free medical documentation of virtual consults in the EHR.
