Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example

Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example

Remote Patient Monitoring System

Healthcare delivery through electronic communication and telehealth has transformed significantly in the 21st century. The continued advancement of technology and innovations in the healthcare sector indicates increased adoption and application of technology in the future. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is an upcoming technology allowing providers to monitor patients outside conventional care settings using digital technologies like wearable devices that monitor weight, blood pressure, and glucose levels (AHRQ, 2023). This paper explores remote patient monitoring, its link to patient safety and quality, ethical and legal considerations accompanying its incorporation, the role of nurse informatics in RPM, and workflow analysis and usability factors.(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

Overview

Remote patient monitoring systems and devices are among the most amazing healthcare technologies. RPM was developed in the 20th century but gained momentum lately after Covid-19, together with telehealth technologies (Mantena & Keshavjee, 2021). RPM continues to gain enormous attention and appreciation for its contribution to virtual care, and it is perceived as a game changer in the healthcare sector. Introducing RPM into the healthcare sector eases the burden on healthcare professionals and patients, giving them a wider scope for affordably managing their health. RPM replaces the traditional clinical setting, adopting advanced technology. However, it is considered complementary to in-patient visits rather than a replacement. It is efficient and convenient, allowing providers to regularly seek information regarding a patient’s blood sugar, heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels (Mantena & Keshavjee, 2021). The data obtained is shared with the lab for further examination.(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

RPM improves healthcare delivery, including increased patient health information or data access by medical professionals, improved care availability and accessibility, improved patient safety, and reduced cost. Continually monitoring vital signs allows professionals to respond promptly in adverse situations, increasing patient safety (Patel et al., 2022). RPM helps prevent life-threatening injuries and health complications for people with chronic illnesses and senior citizens. Wearable devices are effective and dependable data sources to manage patient health status. The patient does not have to visit the clinic for measurement, which reduces travel costs and inconveniences, especially for pregnant women, older adults, and people with disabilities. Using RPM means more people can access care, especially those in marginalized and rural areas and other regions where travelling is inconvenient (Patel et al., 2022). It is also useful to healthcare providers as it is linked to decreased operational costs, improved patient management, and improved patient outcomes, and more valuable to physicians with their clinics. Additionally, it means easy access to specialty care and personal health data for patients.(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

Ethical or Legal Issues That Accompany the Incorporation of RPM

When implementing remote patient monitoring, multiple ethical, legal, and patient safety considerations should be considered. Non-maleficence is a primary concern about RPM due to the risks of data breaches. RPM increases data collection and sharing using remote technologies, increasing the risk of data breaches, leakages, or mishandling, meaning patient data might be available for unauthorized users or with or without malicious intent. Implementing RPM must be within strict adherence to HIPPA rules and regulations. There are also concerns that US patients have limited access to digital data even with increased data collection and relay to healthcare providers because of the HIPPA regulations (Cohen et al., 2020). Additionally, RPM does not guarantee equitable access to care, respect for patient privacy and confidentiality, and sustained therapeutic relationships between the provider and the patient (Solimini et al., 2021). There are concerns that decreased in-patient visits will hurt the therapeutic relationship between the doctor and the patient. These considerations must be examined when implementing RPM.(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

Nurse Informatics Role Regarding RPM

The primary role of nurse informatics in remote patient monitoring is data management. Nurse informatics are assigned to detect, define, manage, and share data and information within the practice (Shah, 2021). RPM systems allow nurse informatics to work as primary care providers, transforming data into needed information to enhance health and health care quality, safety, equity, and outcomes. Additionally, nurse informatics facilitates remote patient monitoring, providing providers with fast, reliable, and accurate patient data they can utilize to provide high-quality and safe care. Nurse informatics helps document and submit correct data (Shah, 2021). Notably, nurse informatics helps integrate or install RPM in healthcare facilities and integrate it with other elements of care, including electronic health records, patient portals, decision support systems, and computerized provider order entries.(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

The Role of Workflow Analysis, Human Factors, and User-Centered Design Concepts for RPM

Integrating RPM impacts clinician workflows across the healthcare organization and the country’s healthcare system. Clinicians going digital means potential changes to colleague and patient engagements, allowing them to remotely track patients’ real-time health data and incorporate it into care planning. Healthcare providers should map out their remote patient monitoring workflows for clinical personnel in all specialties, including the devices they might need, functions, budget, and return on investment (León et al., 2022). RPM developers should also create systems with end-users in mind, making it simple for patients and providers to navigate and access the needed information. RPM solutions should improve user interface interactivity, including for people with special needs like blind, deaf, and speech deficiencies. Integrating these human factors would increase user experience.(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

Conclusion

Remote patient monitoring is a game changer in the healthcare industry, working alongside telehealth, which has grown in popularity since the Covid-19 pandemic. Telehealth is linked to increased healthcare access and availability, improved patient safety and quality of care, enhanced equity, and reduced healthcare costs. Implementing RPM requires careful assessment of data protection and security issues, patient privacy and confidentiality, and the quality of the provider-patient therapeutic relationship. Nurse informatics are integral to implementing and sustaining RPM operations in a healthcare organization. RPM developers should ensure high user interactivity when designing the user interface.(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

References

AHRQ. (2023, March 15). Remote patient monitoring. PSNet. https://psnet.ahrq.gov/perspective/remote-patient-monitoring(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

Cohen, I. G., Gerke, S., & Kramer, D. B. (2020). Ethical and Legal Implications of Remote Monitoring of Medical Devices. The Milbank Quarterly, 98(4), 1257–1289. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.12481(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

León, M. A., Pannunzio, V., & Kleinsmann, M. (2022). The Impact of Perioperative Remote Patient Monitoring on Clinical Staff Workflows: Scoping Review. JMIR human factors, 9(2), e37204. https://doi.org/10.2196/37204(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

Mantena, S., & Keshavjee, S. (2021). Strengthening healthcare delivery with remote patient monitoring in the time of COVID-19. BMJ health & care informatics, 28(1), e100302. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjhci-2020-100302

Patel, H., Hassell, A., Cyriacks, B., Fisher, B., Tonelli, W., & Davis, C. (2022). Building a Real-Time Remote Patient Monitoring Patient Safety Program for COVID-19 Patients. American Journal of medical quality: the official journal of the American College of Medical Quality, 37(4), 342–347. https://doi.org/10.1097/JMQ.0000000000000046(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

Shah, R. (2021, November 29). What is nursing informatics, and which features to include for maximum benefits? Osplabs. https://www.osplabs.com/insights/what-is-nursing-informatics/(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

Solimini, R., Busardò, F. P., Gibelli, F., Sirignano, A., & Ricci, G. (2021). Ethical and Legal Challenges of Telemedicine in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 57(12), 1314. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina57121314(Remote Patient Monitoring System Comprehensive Paper Essay Example)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/