Improving remote patient care with digital technology

Have you ever had a remote doctor’s appointment?

Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, the number of people who would respond ‘yes’ to this question has risen drastically.  During the pandemic, remote patient care was a way to prevent the virus from spreading in hospitals and doctors’ offices.

Since then, many care providers have realized that there are more benefits to remote care. It makes healthcare more accessible to patients in remote or underserved areas. And it allows understaffed medical teams to avoid travel and deliver faster care.

But without the right technology, remote patient care quickly reaches its limits. A lack of tech skills, internet issues, and privacy concerns are just some of the issues remote care providers face.

Thankfully, technology providers have set out to tackle these challenges. In this article, you'll learn about the latest digital solutions and how they're shaping the future of healthcare.

In this article:

• What is remote patient care?
• The benefits of remote patient care
• How the latest digital technologies are transforming patient care
• Addressing the challenges of providing care remotely
• Case study: How Uniting delivers life-saving care to local communities

What is remote patient care?

Simply put, remote patient care is a type of healthcare service that’s provided to a patient by a care provider who isn’t in the same room. It’s often delivered to patients who need frequent care due to old age or chronic disease.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote care has become commonplace across many parts of the healthcare sector.

It’s also referred to as telehealth since telecommunications technologies, like smartphones or tablets, usually enable remote patient care.

When medical professionals provide remote care by monitoring patients’ health data, this is called remote patient monitoring (RPM).

The benefits of remote patient care

Remote care offers numerous advantages for both patients and healthcare providers. We highlight four key benefits below.

More accessible care

For some patients, getting to and from hospitals can be a challenge. Plus, many communities face a shortage of medical staff, often resulting in long waiting times for people in need of care.

Remote patient care allows patients to receive immediate care without needing to travel. This can enhance patients’ quality of life, especially in remote or underserved areas.

Better health outcomes

Early recognition and treatment of illnesses can greatly improve patients’ health outcomes.

With easily accessible healthcare, patients are more likely to seek medical attention when they first notice symptoms. Remote care also allows nurses and doctors to track patients’ health development and identify issues early on.

Real-time consultations

When caring for patients with complex or rare conditions, care professionals sometimes need to call in a specialist.

By assessing patients remotely, specialists can advise local care providers without needing to travel. This helps ensure that the patient receives the best possible care without delay. It also encourages knowledge transfer between the specialists and the local staff.

Enhanced productivity

With the global shortfall of healthcare workers expected to reach 10 million by 2030, care providers need to invest in technology that can help close this gap.

Remote patient care solutions allow doctors and nurses to avoid traveling and focus on helping as many patients as possible. Not only that: These technologies also help them diagnose health issues faster, deliver more effective treatment, and provide continuous care to patients with chronic conditions.

How the latest digital technologies are transforming patient care

As our President of Americas Georg Beyschlag outlines in this article, remote technology has become a central part of patient care. Here are a few of the digital solutions shaping today’s healthcare.

Videoconferencing

Videoconferencing tools allow patients to speak with their physicians from the comfort of their homes. They also enable medical staff to consult with remote specialists in real time.

However, videoconferencing only works if both parties have access to a digital device and broadband internet and know how to use them. On top of that, poor image quality often makes accurate diagnoses impossible. That’s why medical professionals are turning to more advanced digital solutions.

Thermal imaging

Thermal imaging takes virtual diagnosing a step further. As abnormal body temperature is a natural indicator of illness, mapping body surface temperatures can help identify various health problems.

In a remote patient care setting, local medical staff can create and transmit thermal images to remote specialists to give them a better idea of the patient’s condition.

Augmented reality

Augmented reality (AR) remote assistance combines the benefits of videoconferencing with advanced medical technologies like thermal imaging.

It displays relevant data in the local care provider’s field of vision. This allows them to interact with patients in person, consult remote specialists, and access detailed medical information—all at the same time. Used with smart glasses, AR even allows them to work entirely hands-free.

Addressing the challenges of providing care remotely

Remote patient care can be beneficial for both patients and care providers. However, many healthcare providers still face significant challenges when putting it into practice:

Technological barriers

The latest remote technologies are of no use if your medical personnel don’t know how to work with them. That’s why ongoing, targeted staff training is vital to any remote patient care arrangement.

Bandwidth issues

Underserved, rural areas are where remote care can make the biggest difference. But in these areas, reliable internet connection is rare. That means it’s important to look for a remote solution that’s reliable in low-bandwidth environments.

Privacy and data security

Health data is extremely sensitive information. So, make sure to choose a technology provider that addresses the privacy and security requirements of the health sector. For instance, TeamViewer gives you granular control over who can access patient information and is fully HIPAA compliant.

Read more: Securing medical devices and enabling remote management | TeamViewer

Case study: How Uniting delivers life-saving care to local communities

Uniting is an Australian health and aged-care provider. Its key challenge is caring for an aging population despite a critical shortage of medical staff. On top of that, many of Uniting’s patients live in remote areas with limited access to specialized care.

With technology from TeamViewer, Uniting is shaping the future of remote patient care. Its staff uses smart glasses running Frontline Assist to perform instant clinical assessments. This lets them connect their patients with the medical specialists they need from anywhere.