For a healthcare professional, the benefits of home monitoring are significant. Being able to monitor the condition of a patient remotely means you can reduce the number of routine check-ups, which will allow resources to be directed to more patients. It also offers the ability to closely monitor the health of a patient, without being hindered by busy schedules. The benefits for the patient, however, can be more emotional than financial – although it's still worth mentioning the savings around travel costs and taking time out of work for appointments.
Empowerment
Living with a condition that involves constant monitoring can make patients feel like they have lost their freedom. Home monitoring puts part of the patients' care into their own hands, providing them with an element of control. This sense of empowerment can be a contributing factor in the fight against mental health concerns associated with life-changing conditions. A study carried out by The King’s Fund stated that 4 million people in England, with a long-term physical health condition, suffer from mental health problems. Making any positive impact on the patients’ mental health a note-worthy benefit of a medical device.
Safety
Life-changing conditions often put patients at risk of a range of other complications. For example, patients with cancer often receive medication that weakens the immune system. Because of this, every visit to a healthcare setting puts a patient at risk from exposure to other patients they come into contact with. They are more likely to contract common ailments, such as common colds and Influenza, with potentially serious consequences. By limiting the number of times a patient has to attend in person, the risk can be significantly reduced.
Flexibility
Just as home monitoring provides flexibility to the healthcare professional, it does the same for the patient, as they won’t have to plan their lives around weekly or monthly appointments for testing in a healthcare setting. Remote monitoring can take place at home in just minutes, cutting out time for travel and any appointment delays. This level of flexibility can really benefit people working full-time jobs, as they won’t need to keep taking annual leave for their treatment.
Reassurance
Missed appointments are common, 13 million GP appointments are missed in the UK alone each year. With each appointment costing an average of £30, this significantly impacts NHS resources and patient treatment. Reliance on patients attending appointments in person to monitor their condition doesn’t take unpredictable situations into account. For example, if transportation breaks down or a family emergency takes place, missing a test could mean they don’t receive the right advice or medication in a timely fashion. With a home monitoring solution, patients and healthcare providers can continue to effectively monitor a condition, even if an unpredictable situation occurs.
Developments in digital healthcare over recent years are helping healthcare systems evolve, but the benefits of these innovations for the patient are similarly transformative.
If you want to find to how you can empower your patients with home monitoring, visit our website entia.co
