Wireless to boost remote patient monitoring?

By John Cox, NetworkWorld.com, 05/12/06

A new study from Spyglass Consulting finds that a growing number of healthcare providers are investing in remote patient monitoring technologies, including wireless.

Remote patient monitoring traditionally has used telephone lines to monitor and manage patients living at home or otherwise outside the expensive infrastructure of a hospital. Monitoring can be done over DSL or other conventional broadband connections or over cellular or even satellite networks.

Spyglass founder Greg Malkary interviewed professionals at 100 healthcare organization starting late in 2005. The study found that 65 percent of these organizations are making at least limited investment in remote patient monitoring technologies, focusing mainly on high-risk, high-cost patients, often with two or more chronic diseases such as heart problems, diabetes and the like.

The focus seems to be on telemetry-type applications. Malkary found that his respondents found two-way video conferencing to be both an expensive and inefficient use of clinical resources.

RPM investment is limited because of lack of reimbursement for services and care delivered over these nets, according to Malkary. Early adopters are testing the technology and if the results are favorable, the healthcare industry can lobby for changes in reimbursement policies by Medicare/Medicaid and insurers.

RPM is a subset of the overall telemedicine market as Joel Shore recently detailed for us.

Shore also noted one of the most promising developments: using personal area networks of wireless sensors to track, monitor, and manage patients. You can view an Intel video on the subject, "Aging Boomers: Technology to the Rescue?"

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