Telehealth has emerged as a viable and valuable delivery care model, with remote patient monitoring (RPM) as one of the most effective forms of virtual care. While not technically a new concept, RPM has been around since the late 1960s. Since then, it has expanded and morphed into the useful solution and service it is today while gaining acceptance from practitioners, patients, payers, and the federal government.
As a valuable method for providing continuous care for patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, remote patient monitoring was thrust into the spotlight and helped practitioners forge effective paths for supporting patients and managing chronic disease from a distance. At the same time, RPM has generated favorable reimbursement and consistent revenue, which has proven tremendously valuable during these unprecedented times and disruptions in patient volume.
Understanding the Value of Remote Patient Monitoring
Remote patient monitoring is a form of virtual technology that allows healthcare providers to monitor and electronically capture medical and other health data from patients for assessment, recommendations, and instructions. As a virtual care technology, this collecting of health data, which can include vital signs such as blood pressure, weight, heart rate, and blood sugar levels, can occur anywhere the patient is situated, excluding an in-person visit to a practice. As long as patients are not in a shared space with the healthcare provider delivering RPM services, they can receive these services. This means a patient can be in their home, in an office, on vacation, in a skilled nursing facility, or any other location and benefit from RPM.
Remote patient monitoring is lucrative for practices, being embraced by patients and payers, and likely to play a growing role in the delivery of healthcare going forward — something the RPM, virtual care, and telehealth stats, facts, and figures provided below demonstrate all too well.
Note: We'll be regularly adding new statistics to this resource, so bookmark the page and check back regularly!
Consumer/Patient Statistics
23.4 million consumers
(Source: Business Insider)
A survey conducted by Insider Intelligence showed that 23.4 million U.S. patients used remote patient monitoring services and tools in 2020.
30 million U.S. patients
(Source: Business Insider)
By 2024, remote patient monitoring services and tools are expected to reach 30 million U.S. patients, according to research from Insider Intelligence.
4 in 5 consumers
(Source: MSI International)
According to a June 2021 MSI International survey, 80% of Americans are in favor of using remote patient monitoring, and nearly one-half are very favorable towards incorporating it into medical care.
65%–70%
(Source: MSI International)
According to the survey of ~300 consumers, between 65% and 70% said they would be willing to participate in a remote patient monitoring program with their care providers to monitor blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar and blood oxygen levels.
Top five remote patient monitoring consumer benefit rankings
(Source: MSI International)
The survey asked American patients to rank the benefits of remote patient monitoring that they valued the most. The results were as follows:
- Convenience – 43%
- Efficiency – 39%
- Control over personal health – 37%
- Greater accuracy – 36%
- Peace of mind – 36%
88% of consumers
(Source: MSI International)
88% of patients surveyed stated that they had healthcare performed remotely in the last 12 months.
90% patient satisfaction rate
(Source: Business Insider)
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center reported that their patient satisfaction scores rose to over 90% because they equipped patients with remote patient monitoring equipment and tablets.
52% of consumers
(Source: Consumer Technology Association)
When asked in 2019, well before the pandemic, more than half of consumers indicated they would use a connected health device if it was recommended by a physician.
1 in 4 consumers
(Source: Amwell)
About 25% of consumers stated they would switch to a new physician to access telehealth.
Nearly 50%
(BlueCross BlueShield)
While blood pressure monitoring devices are used predominantly by older populations, 46% of millennials also use them.
Physician/Practice Statistics
20% of large healthcare facilities
(Source: HealthTech Insider)
20% of large healthcare facilities surveyed by VivaLNK said they have already adopted some sort of RPM solution for their organization.
88% of healthcare providers
(Source: Spyglass Consulting Group)
Nearly nine out of 10 healthcare providers indicated in 2019 that they had invested in or were evaluating remote patient monitoring technologies.
13% to 22% physician adoption
(Source: American Medical Association)
From 2016 to 2019, physician adoption of remote monitoring and management for improved care saw a noteworthy increase. Of the seven digital health tools included in the AMA’s survey of physicians' motivations and requirements for the adoption of digital clinical tools, remote monitoring experienced the second highest increase in adoption rate, trailing only televisits, which doubled from 14% to 28%.
85% of physicians
(Source: Sermo)
In a poll of 1,300-plus physicians in April 2020, more than 8 in 10 indicated that were seeing patients via video or telephone.
24% of practices
(Source: American College of Physicians)
A 2020 American College of Physicians member survey revealed that 24% of practices have RPM technology available, a rate that is somewhat lower than other technologies.
Coverage and Reimbursement Statistics
26 states
(Source: Center for Connected Health Policy)
As of April 2021, 26 states had adopted Medicaid coverage for remote patient monitoring.
$1,440 per year
(Source: Prevounce)
By delivering 20 minutes of remote patient monitoring per month, each Medicare beneficiary can generate reimbursement of about $1,400 over a 12-month period.
$120 per patient per month
(Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
In 2020, Medicare further increased reimbursement for remote patient monitoring to an average of $120 per patient per month when providers are enrolled in a qualified program. At that rate, if 50 patients are enrolled in an RPM program, a practice can expect to generate $72,000 a year in revenue.
5%
(Source: FAIR Health)
Telehealth claim lines accounted for about 5% of all claim lines in April 2021. That figure was 0.15% in April 2019.
Future Statistics
$7 billion
(ResearchAndMarkets.com)
One market research and consulting company estimates the global remote patient monitoring market will reach nearly $7.4 billion by 2029 — a significant increase over the 2020 market size of about $2.2 billion.
16.4% CAGR
(ResearchAndMarkets.com)
To reach the forecast of more than $7 billion, it would require this impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
5 years
(Source: Healthtech Insider)
42% of VivaLNK large healthcare facility survey respondents thought that remote patient monitoring will be as widely used as in-person patient monitoring within the next five years.
80-90%
(Source: Healthcare IT News)
The head of one technology consulting firm estimates that this many outpatient visits could eventually become "virtualized" in some way.
$250 billion to virtual care models
(Source: McKinsey)
One estimate is that $250 billion in healthcare spending could shift to virtual care models.
Miscellaneous Statistics
$745 million
(Source: Business Insider)
As of 2021, the global value of the remote patient monitoring market is worth $745.7 million.
76% hospital readmission reduction
(Source: Business Insider)
Remote patient monitoring is reducing the risk of hospital readmissions. According to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, RPM helped to reduce its readmission rate by 76%.
90% of U.S. healthcare expenditures
(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Most of the nation's healthcare expenditures are for treating chronic health conditions.
Additional references:
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www.businessinsider.com/remote-patient-monitoring-industry-explained
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https://healthtechinsider.com/2021/03/12/remote-patient-monitoring-to-be-mainstream-in-5-years/
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www.cchpca.org/resources/state-telehealth-laws-and-reimbursement-policies-report-spring-2021/
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https://blog.prevounce.com/4-things-to-know-about-remote-patient-monitoring-reimbursement
