What Devices Are Used for Remote Patient Monitoring?

Technologies known as remote patient monitoring (RPM) make it possible for medical professionals to monitor, report on, and conduct analysis of their patient’s acute or chronic conditions even when they are not physically present in the hospital or clinic. They make it possible to gain knowledge in real time about the disease condition of a patient, which in turn enables the practitioner to make proactive clinical decisions.

What are remote patient monitoring devices?

Mobile apps distinguish remote patient monitoring devices. Instead of disappearing, that information is now included in your patient’s medical records, giving you a better picture of their health.

Step trackers, wearable heart monitors, blood pressure cuffs, glucose monitors, and pulse oximeters can let you monitor, report, and analyze your patients’ acute or chronic conditions, including diabetes, anywhere.

Digitally tracking and monitoring patients’ home health monitoring gadgets is a recent development. In this paper, all of the devices are smart and can both monitor and send information to your systems.

They provide more data and give patients more influence over their health outcomes, relieving stress for many people.

Through the use of remote patient monitoring devices, one’s day-to-day involvement in and comprehension of their own health can be improved. It is more likely that a patient will enjoy long-term good health results when the patient engages with their health on a regular basis, utilizing RPM devices. Here are the six most common types of medical devices we see in our patients:

Blood pressure cuff

Blood pressure cuffs calculate heart rate and blood flow from arterial motion. The Bluetooth blood pressure cuff transmits data to the doctor in real-time.

Blood pressure monitoring helps control hypertension, diabetes, CHF, and renal failure. Home monitoring can help with hypertensive illnesses. Daily blood pressure monitoring provides more heart health information than a single reading. It also prevents “white-coat hypertension,” where a patient’s blood pressure is higher in the doctor’s office than at home. “Masked hypertension,” in which blood pressure is high at home but normal at the doctor’s office, can be avoided by checking blood pressure regularly.

Glucometer

Glucometers measure a patient’s blood sugar by placing a small drop of blood on a test strip linked to the instrument. The patient drops a little bit of blood on the test strip, which is then read by the meter to determine the patient’s blood glucose level. The reading is subsequently submitted to the supplier for assessment in real-time.

Many individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes use a glucometer every day, frequently numerous times a day, to monitor their blood sugar levels. The glucometer assists the patient and their healthcare practitioner in comprehending how specific elements affect the patient’s blood sugar and diabetic symptoms. Included are drug side effects, food, exercise, and stress or disease.

Pulse Oximeter

The pulse oximeter is a clip that is put on the patient’s finger (or, in rare cases, the earlobe) to measure light wavelengths that show blood oxygen level or the amount of oxygen in the patient’s red blood cells. In addition, the pulse oximeter measures the patient’s heart rate.

Patients with chronic illnesses, particularly chronic heart or lung disorders such as COPD or CHF, use pulse oximeters for COVID-19 screening and monitoring. Patients with pneumonia and asthma also use these medications. Pulse oximeters assist medical professionals in observing changes in a patient’s lung function. For people with COVID-19, for example, low levels of oxygen in the blood are often a very important diagnostic sign.

ECG

The electrocardiogram records heart function, whereas the stethoscope records heart and lung sounds. ECGs are frequently administered to individuals with heart disorders such as arrhythmias and coronary artery disease.

Thermometer

A Bluetooth thermometer gives a quick and accurate reading of the patient’s fever (body temperature), which gives the doctor important information for deciding what to do next.

There are different kinds of Bluetooth thermometers on the market today, such as non-touch digital thermometers that scan the forehead (temporal artery) and contact thermometers that are usually placed under the patient’s tongue for an accurate reading.

A fever is a key indicator of numerous illnesses, such as COVID-19, the flu, and other infections. Fever could be a sign that the symptoms of a number of different diseases are getting worse or getting worse.

Wearables (activity trackers and continuous monitoring)

Activity trackers allow physicians to monitor their patients’ steps, heart rate, fall risk, and even sleep. They give the physician a window into the patient’s daily routine, allowing the practitioner to better understand how everyday activities affect the patient’s health and symptoms. Providers are able to incorporate activity data into the patient’s treatment plan. Popular activity trackers include the Apple Watch and Fitbit.

Some wearables allow for continuous monitoring through a sticker or a patch. These wearables, when applied to the patient’s body, allow for continuous monitoring of symptoms and biometrics. With a single device, wearables can monitor a patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, glucose, weight, and stress levels.

Purchasing six RPM devices with a variety of functions would be financially unfeasible. The Linktop 6-in-1 Remote Health Monitor makes it easy for you to use six different features at once.

The Linktop Health Monitor is a great choice for telemedicine and monitoring patients from afar because it can keep track of six important vital signs.

Users are able to receive exact measurement results in a short amount of time by utilizing sensors that have a high level of accuracy and advanced algorithms. Oximetry, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and blood glucose levels are the six vital health parameters that can be measured by the remote health monitor.

In addition, Linktop provides patients with stethoscopes, otoscopes, and smart rings that, when connected to the HC03, make it easier for patients to monitor their own health.