Remote monitoring: Embrace technology, gather data, drive value

YARMOUTH, Maine - There's “an explosion” in remote patient monitoring and HME providers need to have a firm grasp of the market if they want to benefit from the trend, says Dr. Richard Popiel.

“I would encourage you to understand the market and what people are trying to do with the treatment plan,” said Popiel, senior advisor at McKinsey & Company and a member of CareCentrix's strategic advisory board.?“How do you monitor that? If you are delivering care at home and want to understand patient progress, you have to have more robust RM capabilities.”

Popiel was speaking with CareCentrix President and COO Laizer Kornwasser during “Fireside chat: Making the home the center of care,” part of the HME News Virtual Business Summit Sept. 15-17.

Through robust remote monitoring, providers can embrace data to hone in on what works and what doesn't, says Kornwasser.

“There's a lot of things that don't make a difference,” he said. “What's the data they need to focus on what will drive value to everyone else in the system and what makes sure the patient is getting the care they need.”

While RPM has been around for more than a decade, for better or worse, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to deliver and receive care virtually, says Popiel. That will only continue post-pandemic.

“Over time, we will have a much larger (set) of experiences by specialty in a virtual or at-home environment that we can look back on and make some conclusions about how effective that care is and how satisfied everyone is,” he said.

Technology will also play a key role in the growth of at-home care, as providers, already well-versed in things like smart sleep monitors, use it to enhance the value they bring to the table, says Kornwasser.

“There's a lot of respiratory monitoring, (and) a lot of the other wearables and devices, that will give providers an opportunity to monitor and measure a patient,” he said. “There's an opportunity for more precise levels of care to accomplish the results that everyone is hoping for.”