Tele-health and remote patient monitoring has great potential for improving the lives and lowering the healthcare costs for individuals and communities. A recent study using the TractioRPM platform adds more evidence of their value.
The pilot project was launched in December 2014, serving a population of 40 residents of an assisted living facility in Quebec. They were all between 60 and 89 years old, and had a variety of chronic conditions. They were provided remote monitoring equipment suitable to their condition, such as blood pressure cuffs, glucometers, and weight scales. They also received an activity tracker wristband. The data was sent to a dashboard both in the facility and at the pharmacy that serves the residents. Half of the residents in the program were also given iPad minis so that they could view their own results on a private dashboard.
The project was set to run for three months, but was extended because it was so popular with the participants. One reported losing 17 pounds and was able to reduce his high blood pressure medication dosage. A pharmacist reviewed each patient’s results twice a day by looking at their displays; test results that were outside the desired range were flagged in red. Participants in the program showed increased adherence to prescription drug schedules, and at least one undiscovered health condition was revealed by the remote monitoring. The program has already been expanded to include three other facilities.
