1. Surveying the Industry
The Case for Remote Patient Monitoring
by Healthcare Professionals
Results
The Survey: Results Support Telehealth
To gain broad stroke understanding, MobileHelp initially asked about primary concerns amoung its healthcare provider participants, among five suggested topics:
Increasing patient load
Retaining trained nursing staff
Readmission penalties
Patient satisfaction rates
Increasing operating costs
Abstract
With its ability to address numerous issues for today’s healthcare providers – from the need to reduce readmissions, engage patient populations, address long-term chronic care, and make care more accessible – RPM represents one of the most promising technology solutions in the healthcare space.
Background
A majority of healthcare providers have not been able to incorporate telehealth technology solutions in clinical applications – despite the desire to do so.
To better understand the pain points and roadblocks involved in using telehealth technology solutions, MobileHelp Healthcare recently reached out to healthcare providers with a comprehensive survey.
What are you concerned about?
Method
An online survey was conducted sent via to home healthcare professionals in mid to small size organizations. Target responders included top executives, managers and clinical supervisors of small to medium size home healthcare providers.
Increasing patient load
29.91%
22.43%
28.04%
11.21%
8.41%
Retaining trained...
15.67%
21.30%
19.44%2
7.78%1
4.81%
Readmission penalties
3.81%
31.43%
27.62%2
2.86%1
4.29%
Objectives
Gain an understanding of healthcare providers
Who is using remote patient monitoring?
Who is not?
If not, WHY?
What are healthcare professionals concerned about?
What are the road blocks?
Patient satisfaction
22.64%
26.42%
20.75%1
8.87%1
1.32%
Increasing operating costs
6.48%
12.96%
33.33%
24.07%
23.15% 0%
10% 20% 30%
somewhat concerned
40%
50%
60%
70% 80%
very concerned
90% 100%
extremely concerned
not very concerned
concerned

2. 29% 85% Challenges to Address RPM Utilization 1 2 3
What patient conditions would benefit from the use of telehealth?
Do you utilize remote patient monitoring (RPM)?
Blood pressure
While only 29 percent of respondents reported using remote patient monitoring (RPM) to ease the burden of the issues expressed in major areas of concern, more than 85 percent of respondents felt RPM could benefit their patients in multiple ways.
29%
85%
Yes
Weight
use RPM to care for their patients
Pulse oximetry
believe RPM would benefit
their patients in
multiple ways No
Glucose
Other answers included:
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Other
- Monitoring for falls
- If diabetic primary or secondary
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
100%
Challenges to Address
For those who have not implemented an RPM program the following cost-related reasons for delay were given: 1 2 3
High Initial cost of equipment
Length of time to realize ROI
No clinical oversite program in place

3. Removing the Barriers to RPM Adoption1
Solution: PERS + RPM with post clinical care period Private Pay Option for ongoing use.
MobileVitals
No upfront investment in equipment by the provider
Low or no monthly monitoring fee
MobileVitals Discharged Patient
Patients can choose to keep the equipment
Pay service to monitor and manage their own health
Happier and more confident patients about managing their own health.
Challenge 1: High initial cost of equipment.
Traditional Telehealth
Heavy up-front investment in equipment by the healthcare provider
Expensive monthly monitoring fee
Traditional Discharged Patient
Equipment removed after oversight period
No option to monitor their own health 2
Solution: With no upfront cost for equipment, healthcare providers can start realizing a return on their investment almost immediately.
Challenge 2: Length of time to realize ROI. 3
Challenge 3: No clinical oversight program in place.
Advantages of Outsourcing Phone Triage
Solution: Outsourcing phone triage.
Allows internal FTE staff to focus on patient care
Outsourcing for pilot/initial RPM program launch reduces impact on internal staff
Blended outsourcing can offer coverage for Holidays, weekends and off-hours
Scalable – incremental per patient cost
Usually more economical than dedicated headcount
Improves Patient Outcomes
Eases logistics of initial Pilot/ Launch
Frees FTE staff to focus on Care
Economical
Gap coverage for off-hours
Scales with patient growth

4. combination of PERS + Telehealth would benefit their patients
First Steps to Success
The ability to leverage technology and outsource patient triage empowers providers to take the first step toward implementing RPM. As the survey indicates, there are a number of barriers to adoption, despite the clearly recognized benefits of telehealth utilization.
A More Efficient, Easier to Implement Alternative Needed
Most providers intuitively see the benefits of combining personal emergency response systems (PERS) and RPM.
Would your patients benefit from PERS + RPM?
The new solutions that exist today within the technology sector can help address the barriers to RPM adoption, such as high start-up costs and logistics of clinical oversight. These solutions make it possible for healthcare providers to more confidently adopt telehealth and begin reaping the benefits of lower operating cost and increased efficiencies almost immediately.
64%
believe the
combination of PERS + Telehealth would benefit their patients
Conclusions
The results demonstrate that while the benefits of using telehealth are very clear to those in the provider space, the capability to invest in a new program or expand an existing one has significant challenges – from fiscal difficulties to personnel shortages.
Examining the results affords the opportunity to understand how those challenges can be addressed by products on the market today.
It is clear the traditional business model of delivering RPM solutions is not working for most healthcare organizations. Given these results, a new business model is proposed as a method to overcome the challenges of RPM program implementation.