Digital transformation is revolutionizing the healthcare industry. Implementation of various emerging technologies within the healthcare institution can significantly improve patient care, enhance workforce experience and permit quicker and better diagnosis. The onset of the pandemic further accelerated this transformation with almost every industry being forced to automate their processes to maintain market relevance.

Several digital transformation initiatives are increasingly being implemented to attain better insights into this booming industry. Translating these copious amounts of data into valuable information has enabled the healthcare industry to take a more patient-centric approach toward delivering better healthcare and customer experience. One such initiative is the adoption of data-driven patient management solutions, that are meant to serve the healthcare provider like specialty pharmacies and pharmacos, and the patient as well. These solutions have been designed and developed to help leverage the extensive amounts of data collected to improve healthcare outcomes and make the digital transformation transition easier.

While clinical diagnosis assists in deducing these outcomes, the social determinants of health (SDOH) majorly affect the health and quality-of-life outcomes. A comprehensive view of this consolidated data helps aid healthcare providers in delivering better healthcare results. To achieve this success, the caregiver needs to implement the right solution. This solution should be equipped with the ability to govern and connect relevant data in real time, optimize its usability, and swiftly act on the predicted insights. In conjunction with this, the power of various advancing technologies like AI, ML, and IoT in this domain can be harnessed to attain additional insights. These insights can be utilized as a recommendation on the next best course of action for the patient.

With the right solution in place that meets the caregiver and patient’s requirements, irregular patient contact, lack of visibility, information storage across disparate siloed systems, and high-cost disease management gradually comes to a halt. The caregiver can now seamlessly manage treatment plans, upgrade their workflows and processes, reduce medication wastage, conduct effective and consistent patient interactions, minimize acute episodes, and so on.

Individuals and organizations within the pharmaceutical sector are also increasingly recognizing the benefits that remote patient monitoring devices have to offer. In fact, research conducted by Reports and Insights predicts that the remote patient monitoring market is predicted to reach 93.8 billion dollars by 2030.

This lucrative market will continue to expand while the healthcare industry continues to evolve. And it is only smart to hop onto the digital bandwagon for healthcare providers to maintain relevancy and for patients to avail a hassle-free experience. Previously, manual processes were in place which only enabled the patient to verbally or physically transmit the required information to the caregiver. The clinical team would then have to review all of the information provided. They would then assist the provider team with dose titrations and help meet patient goals while simultaneously monitoring for any side effects. While this is a tried and tested method, it can be time-consuming with the possibility of the data gathered being unreliable. It’s no surprise that healthcare providers and patients are going digital.

However, choosing the solution provider for the organization and workforce to work with can prove to be an arduous task. A team with industry-rich experience, secure yet easy-to-use solutions, higher ROI, and post-implementation support are some of the key factors to consider when selecting a solution provider to work with. The team will commence by first trying to identify any pain points the customer might be facing. The solution can then be put in place to address these challenges and achieve high levels of customer satisfaction while transforming the healthcare sector. Alternatively, patients expect their personal information to be stored efficiently and securely. They also need the application to have a seamless UX and meet their set health goals. If you find a solution that meets and exceeds your requirements, it is time to get on board with the solution.

A great patient experience goes beyond the walls of a healthcare institution. The idea is to encourage healing by creating a safe and empathetic environment for all patients associated with the hospital, even after they are discharged. Multiple medical institutions have been focusing on creating a positive patient experience. The primary elements that contribute to a positive experience for a patient are a sense of autonomy, cost-efficiency concerning medical expenses, and availability of the concerned healthcare staff. Feeling heard, prioritized, and respected, automatically contributes to building a great patient experience. Institutions need to actively work on the various elements that contribute to their patient’s experience.

A Sense of Autonomy

A positive experience is crucial for a patient to be diagnosed and treated appropriately. Feelings of autonomy in patients contribute to building trust with healthcare practitioners, leading to better conversations, diagnoses, and, consequently, treatments. According to this study by Shou University in Taiwan, patients who were made to feel like they had autonomy experienced higher satisfaction during their treatment. The idea is to enhance communication between the doctor and patient encouraging the latter’s active participation in their healing.

Cost-effective Medical Treatments

Hospital bills around the world are one of the primary obstacles to patient satisfaction. If a patient feels like their time in admission was not worth their experience, it can affect their overall satisfaction. While medical insurance helps, it may not cover all the costs of being admitted to a tier-one hospital. For example, if a patient needs to be monitored for a few days, it can happen remotely.

The advancements in remote patient monitoring allow for quick updates and responses from the medical team to tackle any urgent issues. This can help the patient cut costs on transportation and admission as well. Moreover, this directly creates a positive impact on the doctor-patient relationship, leading to stronger trust and better decision-making in the long run. Digital patient monitoring also facilitates complying with medication prescriptions which can further reduce long-term expenses for the patient.

Feeling Prioritized

The words and actions of the healthcare staff may unintentionally affect the patient’s experience. To deliver a good patient experience, it is important to notice their feelings regarding their time in the institution. Some key sentiments that guide patient experience are the elements of individuality, comfort, comprehension, and prioritization. When a patient feels like they are being seen as an individual and that efforts are being made to make their treatment as comfortable as possible, they deem it a good experience.

A patient that has had a great experience in a medical institution may feel better equipped to actively participate in their treatment and recovery. Moreover, this also reduces feelings of stress and anxiety, encouraging them to be aware and take responsibility for themselves.

However, creating a positive patient experience may not just be limited to the actions of the healthcare specialists. The infrastructure, technology, meals, and engagement of the hospital staff can all affect the patient’s experience. It is a collaboration between the various teams of a healthcare organization to ensure that the patient feels good with and without it. The best way to go about it is to read the customer’s needs and act accordingly since one size may not fit all.

As the world of telemedicine continues to expand and grow, so does the terminology surrounding it. Words like remote patient monitoring, chronic care management, and remote patient management all sound similar but have slightly different meanings. To effectively make the best of telemedicine and remote patient services it is best to understand these differences and understand how remote patient monitoring is different from management. 

Remote patient monitoring and remote patient management are primarily differentiated on the level of engagement. All parties involved (i.e. the medical practitioner(s) and the patient) perform slightly different functions. Remote patient monitoring, for instance, can be used by anyone around the world, regardless of whether they are ill or not. It helps with the surveillance of the patient’s vitals – such as blood sugar or oxygen level, blood pressure, and so on. This data is then transferred to a health care practitioner for assessment if need be. Technically, a Fitbit or any other fitness watch for that instance can be counted as a remote patient monitoring solution.

Remote patient management on the other hand goes a step further by integrating solutions to healthcare concerns. For instance, if you have diabetes, the device will not just track your data but send you constant reminders for your insulin injections. The data is also sent to all caretakers and care team members of the patient who then receive optimized healthcare plans and solutions. This also means that the level of effort required on behalf of the patient varies.

A patient undergoing remote management will have to be more proactive in their own care. They receive detailed insights into their health, are given the liberty to manage their condition in their own way, and rely on software to get periodic reminders and information. Patients being monitored remotely on the other hand receive more personalized care from their healthcare provider. Since the primary goal of the process is to track vitals, based on their health status, the patient may or may not require constant checkups and/or medication. Remote patient management can help patients with chronic conditions save time and money spent on avoidable commutes and hospitalization. Patients from rural areas who might not be able to commute frequently, for example, can use this service to empower themselves.

Ideally, remote patient management is also designed to offer more insightful health data. What this means is that a patient opting for this method will have quicker access to both insights and solutions. Patients being monitored remotely on the other hand will need to wait for their healthcare practitioner to assess the information received by them and then offer solutions. Most often remote patient monitoring devices may not directly transmit data to a physician but require the individual to do it themselves. 

In short, while monitoring can indicate what affects your health, management can indicate what improves your health. It is ideal to assess your situation and pick the solution that fits your needs best. Regardless of what you choose, both methods are extremely beneficial especially to enable connections with specialists from around the world.

 

Patient Generated Health Data from Smart Watches Ensures Accurate Seizure Tracking and Reporting

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological illnesses with estimates of approximately 3.4 million people in the US experiencing active epilepsy in 2015. Despite advancements in treatment options and optimal medication management, nearly one-third of patients with epilepsy continue to have seizures. Seizures can negatively impact the overall quality of a person’s life due to their unpredictable nature, occurring at anytime and anywhere. Healthcare technology  has come to the aid of people who have seizures with the development of seizure monitors or seizure alert devices that can detect the onset of a seizure and make an alert so that the individual suffering the seizure can be aided quickly. Good seizure monitors can also provide clinicians with detailed seizure data that can be used in the management of epilepsy.

There are many seizure alert devices on the market including seizure bed alarms or mattress sensors, seizure bracelets and smart watches, and camera/video/infrared devices. The report, “Seizure detection, seizure prediction, and closed-loop warning systems in epilepsy,” explored various seizure detection and prediction systems and noted that accelerometers such as smart watches, detect changes in velocity and direction and may serve to detect motor seizures such as tonic–clonic or myoclonic seizures. The authors found that a smart watch was able to detect 7 out of 8 tonic–clonic seizures in a pilot study. It further noted that the SmartWatch, manufactured by Smart Monitor Inc.:

·         utilized pattern recognition and feature analysis in its built-in seizure detection algorithm

·         can synchronize with a smartphone application via Bluetooth to transmit seizure data to the user’s mobile phone

·         the app can then contact caretakers to alert them of ongoing seizures

It is evident that the patient generated health data collected by smart watches can provide accurate tracking and reporting of seizures. Seizure monitor technology and seizure alert devices are very useful for patient engagement and can produce improved patient outcomes through use of the patient generated health data that they provide. The use of seizure monitors such as smart watches allows for early intervention in patients experiencing seizures, preventing injury, lessening the severity of the seizure, and potentially preventing sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Seizure monitors also provide objective data that can be leveraged by healthcare providers to adjust therapy, allowing for better management of the patient with epilepsy and resulting in cost savings from reduced hospitalizations.

To find out more about how smart watches and patient generated health data can ensure better management of patient care and costs, download the Guide to Leveraging Healthcare Technology to Improve Management of High Risk Patients.