4 Remote Patient Monitoring Devices to Know When Launching a Program

Read More
Featured Image
by Daniel Tashnek

Over the past several years, the stars have aligned for remote patient monitoring (RPM). An overhaul of the RPM CPT codes (99453, 99454, 99457, and 99458) made RPM into a lucrative Medicare management program. Medicare is making it easier for organizations to provide RPM services, and private-payer coverage of RPM is growing. The COVID-19 pandemic helped drive the adoption and use of remote patient monitoring devices in healthcare. Finally, a rapidly growing number of patients are interested in virtual care services like RPM, their interest largely fueled by the public health emergency.

These factors and others make it an optimal time to consider launching or growing RPM programs — especially when RPM is included in a more comprehensive care management program. Another motivating factor for organizations is they now have many choices of remote patient monitoring medical devices to offer patients and include in their programs. From these options, organizations can select the devices that will best meet the short- and long-term care needs of their patients and maximize RPM programs’ revenue potential.

Remote Patient Monitoring Devices 101

Here is some background information about four common examples of remote patient monitoring devices that organizations should consider.

1. Blood pressure monitor

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost half of U.S. adults have hypertension, and nearly half a million U.S. deaths in 2017 included hypertension as a primary or contributing cause. Organizations are increasingly leveraging blood pressure monitors, typically cuffs worn on patients' wrists, to improve hypertension management. As the American Heart Association notes, research has shown that remote cardiac monitoring can greatly reduce patient blood pressure compared to typical care and self-monitoring alone.

The use of a remote blood pressure monitor allows practitioners to perform ongoing virtual monitoring and treatment of hypertension/high blood pressure. In addition, remote monitoring helps avoid misleading blood pressure readings due to "white-coat hypertension." These false results occur when blood pressure readings are higher during in-person visits than they are when patients are in other settings (e.g., home, office) due to the stress of meeting with a practitioner. Such a misleading reading maybe even more commonplace during the pandemic, with some patients experiencing higher stress when leaving their homes and going to a setting often associated with sick people.

2. Weight monitor 

We hear a lot about the obesity problem in the United States, but it may be worse than you realize. CDC notes that about 42% of the American population was considered obese in 2017–2020. This figure is up from about 31% in 1999–2000. Also, the prevalence of severe obesity increased from about 5% to about 9% during this period. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of preventable cancer.

Organizations can use remote weight monitoring, typically performed via a scale, for multiple purposes. For congestive heart failure patients, a sudden weight gain of even just a few pounds may be an indicator that the condition is worsening, prompting practitioners to take action, such as adjusting existing medications, prescribing a diuretic, or arranging an in-person or virtual (telehealth) visit.

For practitioners working to help patients lose weight, ongoing monitoring can help assess trends and measure success. If unexpected, rapid weight loss occurs, remote weight monitoring helps ensure it is identified quickly. Practitioners can then work to reduce the risks associated with sudden weight loss, which include weakened bones, compromised immune system, dehydration, and fatigue.

3. Blood glucose monitor

Monitoring blood glucose levels is critical for keeping patients with diabetes safe. Patients often do not feel particular symptoms associated with diabetes until they experience hyperglycemia (glucose level too high) or hypoglycemia (glucose level too low). Untreated hyperglycemia can lead to the life-threatening condition of ketoacidosis (diabetic coma) and other complications affecting the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart. Untreated hypoglycemia can initially lead to blurred vision, confusion, slurred speech, and drowsiness, and eventually more significant complications, such as seizures, coma, and sometimes death.

Blood glucose monitoring can be performed using various types of remote patient monitoring devices, some of which do not require patients to draw blood. Practitioners can use the data captured by a remote blood glucose monitoring device to detect potential alarming changes in glucose levels and take immediate action. Also, the data can provide insights that practitioners will use to guide recommendations concerning medications, diet, and exercise.

Diabetes patients are some of the most aware concerning digital health, and monitoring blood glucose levels is one of the most effective remote patient monitoring applications. Remote monitoring of glucose levels has been proven to reduce the need for in-person visits. In addition, a study showed that 70% of high-risk diabetic patients were able to lower their A1C levels by using remote patient-monitoring medical devices.

Blood glucose monitors are also great for monitoring those with gestational hypertension and diabetes.

4. Spirometer

The spirometer may be the least common of the examples of remote patient monitoring devices listed here, but practitioners should expect to be hearing a lot more about remote spirometry. Spirometry, also known as pulmonary function testing, measures lung function. Specifically, a spirometer measures the volume (i.e., amount) and/or flow (i.e., speed) of air that an individual can inhale or exhale. Spirometry testing plays an essential role in diagnosing lung diseases as well as assessing and monitoring conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

While a spirometer is typically used by a patient during an in-person visit, remote spirometry was on the uptick even before the COVID-19 health crisis. Remote spirometry allows practitioners to monitor a patient's lung condition virtually as well as assess whether treatments, including medications, are proving successful in helping patients better manage breathing issues. The pandemic will likely contribute to a greater surge in remote lung function monitoring for those with respiratory risks. High-risk patients with chronic respiratory conditions should take extra precautions, including limiting their interactions with other people as much as possible.

In addition, using a spirometer requires a patient to blow into the device, typically 3 to 10 times. If a patient who is infected with COVID-19 uses a spirometer during an in-person visit, exhaling in such a manner can increase the potential exposure for anyone in the organization.

Other Remote Patient Monitoring Devices to Know

In addition to the devices discussed above, a few other RPM devices organizations and practitioners may want to consider for their patients include the following:

  • Dynamometer, which measures grip strength and is good for monitoring arthritis
  • Pulse oximeter, for estimating blood oxygen levels
  • Peak flow monitor, which measures how fast air comes out of the lungs when one exhales forcefully

Offering Remote Patient Monitoring Devices to Patients

If you are interested in offering remote patient monitoring devices to your patients, schedule a no-obligation demo of the Prevounce remote patient monitoring system. It's designed to support new and existing RPM programs, helped organizations collect and interpret pertinent patient data and achieve timely, compliant RPM coding, billing, and documentation. 

If you’re not ready for a demo, call (818) 600-7160. You’ll speak with one of our sales development specialists who will answer the questions you have about RPM and how to determine what devices are right for your organization and patients.

And if you're at a stage where you're interested in learning more about remote patient monitoring, download this comprehensive guide to RPM.

CPT Copyright 2023 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.

Webinar: What to Know About Medicare's 2023 Changes to Remote Care Management

All Posts

Related Posts

Quick Guide: Remote Patient Monitoring CPT Codes to Know in 2024

Over the last few years, remote patient monitoring (RPM), also referred to as remote physiologic monitoring, became one of the more lucrative Medicare care management programs. Using average 2024 RPM reimbursement rates, if 100 patients are enrolled in an RPM program and each receives the minimum care management services each month, that will generate annual reimbursement of nearly $113,000.

AMA Weighing Substantial Expansion of Remote Patient Monitoring Codes

The American Medical Association (AMA) has announced the agenda for its second quarter 2024 CPT Editorial Panel meeting in May, and it includes discussion on what would be a significant and welcome expansion of remote patient monitoring (RPM) and remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) CPT codes.

What is Chronic Care Management: Definition and Key Concepts

Thinking about launching a chronic care management program? Looking to grow an existing CCM program? Don't miss our special webinar, "What Chronic Care Management Success Looks Like in 2024," on March 26. Learn more and register! Chronic care management (CCM) made its debut in 2015 when it was rolled out by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a separately paid service under the Medicare fee schedule. The rationale behind its inception was to offer an avenue of compensation for practitioners who provided care to their patients outside of the normal confines of the average office visit. The introduction of CCM coincidentally led to a more efficient means of care teams proactively engaging and managing patients with problematic chronic diseases, in turn improving outcomes and reducing treatment costs. CCM also gave providers a new opportunity to generate meaning and recurring revenue. Chronic care management has been a win-win for patients and practitioners — and the healthcare system as a whole — for nearly 10 years now.