Talking to Patients About RPM
January 31, 2022 •Optimize Health
The number of patients interested in telehealth is skyrocketing. One study shows that 76 percent are interested in telehealth now compared to just 11 percent in 2019. And 74 percent of telehealth users report higher levels of satisfaction with their healthcare. That said, Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is still a new concept for some patients. In fact, the patients that could likely benefit from RPM the most – older, less tech-savvy patients with multiple chronic conditions – may be the most resistant to new programs and technologies. So, how do you discuss with a hesitant patient, especially one that may be concerned about co-pays for RPM, that an RPM program may be beneficial for their care?
Taking the Patients Point of View
When discussing RPM with patients, you may be tempted to focus only on explaining the clinical research supporting remote monitoring. While the research is compelling, we also strongly recommend making it a point to keep the conversation as relevant to their everyday life and their specific health challenges as possible.
The more personalized the RPM discussion is, the more likely it is that a patient will understand the benefits and alternatives to participating in an RPM program and want to take next steps to actively participate in the program. Well-designed patient education materials can help guide live conversations about remote monitoring. However, once a provider determines that a patient is a good candidate for an RPM program, it’s important for the care team to make sure the patient completely understands the benefits and risks of the program so they can make an informed choice to say yes when it’s a good fit.
What Should I Say to Patients?
We recommend trying to see the benefits of RPM through the patient’s eyes. Focus on how RPM may:
- Improve their health
- Example: High blood pressure can create complications like heart disease or stroke. Taking your blood pressure every day can help us adjust your medications and support you in making healthy lifestyle choices that may keep you out of the hospital and emergency room.
- Example: High blood pressure can create complications like heart disease or stroke. Taking your blood pressure every day can help us adjust your medications and support you in making healthy lifestyle choices that may keep you out of the hospital and emergency room.
- Allow them to take control of their health
- Example: Using this device helps put you in charge of your own health. You don’t have to wait until your next office appointment to monitor your health. Daily readings help you and us manage your chronic condition more proactively. By better managing your symptoms, you may enjoy a better quality of life.
- Provide them with the comfort and convenience of daily clinical check-ins
- Example: If you worry about living by yourself with a chronic condition, RPM may help. A trained clinical care team member will be looking at your data and checking in on you daily or as needed to make sure you are feeling Ok. If you have family members that worry about you, this may provide comfort and reassurance to them as well.
- Example: If you worry about living by yourself with a chronic condition, RPM may help. A trained clinical care team member will be looking at your data and checking in on you daily or as needed to make sure you are feeling Ok. If you have family members that worry about you, this may provide comfort and reassurance to them as well.
- Make their life easier
- Example: If you have a chronic condition, such as hypertension and diabetes, you may already be taking regular readings. With RPM, you can stop writing down your readings on paper and trying to make sense of what to do if you have a high or low reading. A trained clinical care team member will be reviewing your data to help you and us make decisions about your care.
- Example: If you have a chronic condition, such as hypertension and diabetes, you may already be taking regular readings. With RPM, you can stop writing down your readings on paper and trying to make sense of what to do if you have a high or low reading. A trained clinical care team member will be reviewing your data to help you and us make decisions about your care.
- Help them financially
- Example: Whether it’s a visit to a hospital, admission to a nursing home, or even more prescription medication, if your condition worsens, it may be costly. Your device may save you money by helping to reduce the high costs of treating health problems versus preventing them.
The Patient Said Yes to RPM, Now What?
If the patient has agreed to participate, they will need an onboarding appointment. Education and setting expectations are key to successful onboarding. We want to make sure patients leave the onboarding appointment confident they know how to use their device. They also need to understand the importance of taking regular readings according to their clinical needs and plan of care and regular engagement with your care team.
Ready to Learn More?
If you have questions or want to learn more, please schedule a free consultation with one of our RPM experts. We are happy to share more details on the potential clinical and financial benefits of RPM. We also have additional resources on how to successfully onboard RPM patients.
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