Telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM) are becoming widely accepted as a means for improving access to care and reducing hospital readmissions. If you’re looking to implement RPM systems at your healthcare facility, here’s a list of questions to guide you through the steps.
1. What type of RPM services should you provide?
Certain care settings may benefit more from telehealth and RPM compared to others. That being said, no two healthcare organizations are alike and your program should be tailored to your organization’s and patients’ needs. Survey your current patient population along with their risk factors, so you can accurately assess the RPM services you should focus on and the RPM systems you need.
2. What’s the process of setting up and using the RPM system?
An essential aspect of a good RPM platform is its ease of use for healthcare practitioners and patients. The software should feature a clean, easy-to-understand user interface that encourages patients to continue engaging with it.
On top of that, you should ensure that the RPM system you use integrates with your electronic medical record (EMR) to make care delivery more seamless. With EMR integration, healthcare providers will only have to work on a single platform, rather than on a telehealth platform and EMR separately, which can help improve provider efficiency and care quality.
If this is your organization’s first time using an RPM system, partnering with the right vendor that can help ensure setup and training go as smoothly as possible is crucial. As a full-service partner, HRS has a dedicated clinical team that can help your healthcare organization with implementing RPM systems.
3. What kind of RPM devices do you need?
There are various monitoring devices that you can use as part of your RPM program, depending on your patients’ conditions. These peripherals have Bluetooth connectivity and automatically tracks your patient’s biometric data. Among the more common monitoring devices include:
- Blood pressure cuff
- Glucometer
- Pulse oximeter
- ECG + digital stethoscope
- Wearables
- Thermometer
- Scale
4. Do you intend to run a full-service or a self-managed RPM program?
For self-managed programs, your organization supplies the devices and works with an RPM software vendor for data management purposes. While this reduces monthly fees, you do need to pay a higher amount upfront to get the program running and you will require more staff time for setup.
Full-service programs is one where an RPM company supplies patients with devices, which eliminates the initial device cost and program management time from your staff, but incurs monthly recurring fees.
HRS is an example of a full-service provider, with a full range of solutions that cover every part of your RPM program—from training to logistics to 24/7 technical support.
5. How does the RPM system support coding and billing?
It’s important to ensure that the RPM system you’re using can support existing coding and billing systems. By having a streamlined coding and billing process, you’ll prevent your staff from spending too much time on administrative and billing work.
6. How do you get patient buy-ins?
The continuity and success of your RPM system rely on your patients’ buy-ins. Ease your patients into using the technology and create awareness about the goals and outcomes of the program.
Be sure to involve caregivers throughout the process so you strengthen the network of stakeholders committed to the patient’s success.
7. How do you get reimbursed?
Incorporating RPM as part of your care process not only improves patient outcomes and satisfaction, reduces total cost of care, and optimizes staffing efficiency. By properly using CMS-approved CPT codes, you can also boost your ROI, creating new revenue streams while enhancing patient care.
See the potential reimbursement for your RPM program with our reimbursement calculator.
How HRS Can Help With Your RPM Systems Implementation
We have considerable experience in helping our healthcare clients set up RPM and telehealth solutions for various care settings. Get in touch with us to find out how we can help ensure your RPM implementation is a successful one.
