Remote patient monitoring devices have revolutionized patient care around the world. They have become invaluable tools in caring for patients with chronic diseases. Their importance was clearly seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ease and access to qualified healthcare providers has changed significantly over the last couple of years. Covid-19 created a shift in access to health care and a need to find more efficient and effective ways to care for patients.
Before the creation of remote patient monitoring devices, patients called their doctor to set up an appointment, or went directly to the emergency room or an urgent care facility where medical data was gathered. Remote patient monitoring gives qualified healthcare providers the opportunity to monitor certain aspects of a patient’s health daily. Changes in a patient’s measurements can be seen and managed daily from wherever they are. Pharmacists working with qualified healthcare providers become the first line of defense in the ups and downs of chronic disease management.
There are numerous kinds of remote patient monitoring devices that are capable of tracking signs and conditions. These include blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters, pulse oximeters, heart monitors, weight scales, etc.
The relevance of remote patient monitoring devices to pharmacies
Remote patient monitoring devices provide crucial information to all members of the patient’s health care team, preferably including their pharmacist. Remote patient monitoring as a service enables pharmacists to monitor a patient’s compliance and provide real-time data related to the patient’s health status. Daily measurements make it easy to identify a significant deviation from baselines. This information can help the pharmacist determine when there is a need to discuss options to modify a medication or its dosage with the patient’s qualified healthcare provider.
Remote patient monitoring devices can also help pharmacies with adherence tracking. Devices such as smart pillboxes can help you know when patients are not adherent to their medication. This way, you can make timely interventions before serious complications develop.
Another benefit of remote patient monitoring devices is that they enable you to collaborate with the patients, thus creating better outcomes. Since they also have access to their information and are responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of their devices, they become active participants in their own health.
Having a remote patient monitoring application that enables patients to enter their medication information can make it possible for you to monitor their medication use and be alerted when they are running out. It can also tell you when to send reminders for them to come in for refills.
Pharmacies are a key and critical part of a holistic approach to providing patient care. This is especially true for patients managing one or more chronic conditions. Pharmacy provided remote patient monitoring gives patients a three-pronged health care strategy by connecting each patient with their pharmacist and physician daily.
The Dignio Connected Care solution
Dignio Connected Care is an all-encompassing solution for digital remote care. It brings patients, clinicians, pharmacists, and all other members of the care team together and encourages people to take control of their own health. This way, people can live better and healthier lives.
The solution has applications for patients and their caregivers, creating room for seamless collaboration. For caregivers, it provides access to care plans, patient histories, and decision support.
The team at Dignio believes that pharmacists are critical members of the healthcare community, but their skills and knowledge are underutilized. With the right tools, however, they can expand their capabilities and truly work at the top of their license.
The platform is set up in a way that enables seamless integration with numerous systems, devices, electronic health records, management systems, response centers, and pharmacies. Users can also enter their information manually from their own preferred legacy remote patient monitoring device.
There are numerous benefits that the Connected Care solution can provide pharmacists when it’s used in combination with remote patient monitoring devices. These include the following:
- It enables the easy and secure configuration of multidose medication plans from the pharmacy system to the Dignio platform.
- The clinician tool can help with triaging, so you can focus on patients who need urgent attention.
- The National Early Warning Score scoring system on the application helps you measure acute deterioration.
- With access to the patient’s records, you will have enough information at your disposal to make informed decisions. You can also monitor their soft signs using questionnaires answered by patients or caregivers.
- The secure video and chat services enable you to be in contact with your patients and other members of their home care team.
Conclusion
Remote patient monitoring devices provide pharmacies with all the tools that they need to work at the top of their license and create new revenue streams. They can provide real-time data of the patient’s health status and are a means of monitoring medication response and adherence.
Dignio’s solution makes this process seamless and straightforward and provides platforms for the patient and members of their care team to be active participants in ensuring their health and wellbeing.
Here at Dignio, we help community, LTC, and specialty pharmacists leverage remote patient care technology in order to practice at the top of their license, allowing pharmacies to deliver greater value to patients and caregivers, while generating more profitable revenue for the pharmacy location.
If you’d like to see how we can help pharmacies make an even bigger positive impact in communities and drive greater profit margins while doing so, feel free to reach out to our Connected Care Team today!