“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
We’ve seen firsthand how remote patient monitoring tools, designed to engage patients in their own care journeys, can have a quick and meaningful impact on patient experiences and care outcomes.
Hear four real-life anecdotes from our patient-facing nurse team that demonstrate the power of early detection and preventative care through hospital-at-home devices.
1. Source Timely Health Data
Being able to get information about basic vital signs as well as new or growing symptoms, when and where patients need them, can be the difference between missing critical early detection inflection points and timely diagnosis of a new condition.
Through a suite of at-home medical devices such as blood pressure cuffs, weight scales, glucometers, and pill packs, patients can do more than simply keep track of their health on a regimented schedule. They can use these tools when they feel ill, or simply not as good as usual, to gauge their health in real time and as needed.
Our nurse Stacy called a patient recently and he texted her back, “Sorry, not feeling well.” The next day, his wife called to tell Stacy she made him check his blood pressure on his Athelas device, and she found that his blood pressure was elevated. Due to that and his other symptoms, she took him to the ER where they found he had experienced a heart attack.
The patient’s wife credits the Athelas device with potentially saving the patient’s life. When another nurse called recently, his blood pressure is now well controlled and he is in cardiac rehab.
2. Optimize Clinical Decision Support
When treating an underlying or long-term disease, every new medical data point counts — no matter how small or insignificant the symptom may appear to be. Remote patient monitoring enables patients and their care teams to track a variety of health factors that could lead to immediate care needs or recommendations for the patient to improve health outcomes.
Our nurse Tessa recently reached out to a patient with tachycardia and elevated blood pressure. The patient was not experiencing any other symptoms, but Tessa encouraged him to go to the ER based on his heart rate and blood pressure readings. Ultimately he agreed to go, and once there, they found that they needed to shock his heart back into rhythm.
He has since changed medications and his heart rate is now normal. He was very thankful for Tessa’s persistence!
3. Foster Patient Confidence
At-home health devices can be the first step toward empowering patients to know what feels right — and what feels wrong — in their body. By giving patients the opportunity to check their conditions as needed, providers and health organizations can help to build confidence in patients to understand their care needs and recognize when they may need to reach out to nurse teams for more information, keep a closer eye on developing symptoms, or visit the ER for immediate care.
Our nurse Melinda spoke with a patient who had recently started on two blood pressure medications. She was experiencing dizziness, blurred vision, perspiring, and, upon taking her blood pressure with the device, saw that her values were lower than normal. Melinda advised her to go to the ER, where they told her she was double-dosed and her blood pressure had dropped significantly.
The patient stated that if it weren’t for the Athelas device, she wouldn’t have known that her blood pressure was low. She now checks it regularly and states that it has helped her be more aware of what is good and not good for her. She feels more empowered by knowing what blood pressure even is and how it can affect her body.
4. Advocate for Medical Needs
In today’s overwhelming medical landscape, it can often be challenging for patients to know when symptoms may be escalating or reaching concerning levels. It can be even more difficult to know when to push to have their health needs met, particularly if a provider gives a less-than-satisfactory diagnosis.
The data tracking capabilities of remote patient monitoring, combined with the always-on human intelligence and empathy of nurse teams backing the RPM tools, provide a historical record of fluctuations or patterns in key health indicators. This makes it easier for patients, equipped with this knowledge, to become their own best advocates in their care journeys.
A nurse reached out to a patient who, after recently receiving an Athelas scale, noticed she had gained 15 pounds in four days. She had very recently been to the doctor and complained of shortness of breath but the doctor didn’t take her seriously and attributed it to health anxiety. With the weight gain and shortness of breath, she went to the ER where she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
She said without the readings from the Athelas device, she probably wouldn't have had anyone take her seriously and it was because of the scale that she finally was able to find out what was wrong and start treatment.
Learn More
Athelas provides a white-glove, end-to-end solution for implementing, managing, and billing for remote patient monitoring services. Reach out to Athelas today to explore how your organization can unlock preventative care and foster exceptional patient experiences through Athelas RPM.
