RPM Tools & Strategies for Chronic Pain Management

One in five adults or more than 50 million people in the US experience chronic pain on a daily basis. 19.6 million of those patients experience pain that interferes with their capability to work or lead normal lives. A major aspect of modern day remote healthcare is pain management, which is mainly provided by primary care physicians. 

While ensuring that patients with chronic disease receive the right care and support, Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) helps in identifying alarming health metrics like high or low blood pressure, low respiratory rate, slow pulse, and much more. It also facilitates close communication between the practitioners and patients to ensure they receive timely interventions in their care plans to avoid excessive pain or medical emergencies.

How RPM Supports Chronic Pain Management?

Being one of the most popular digital healthcare platforms, remote patient monitoring allows medical professionals to keep an eye on patients outside of conventional clinical settings. In order to enable clinicians to provide more individualized and efficient care, RPM collects and sends patient data in the form of reports via Wi-Fi or cellular-enabled medical devices.

Patients and clinicians can benefit from using RPM to manage chronic pain by:

• Finding out more about the causes of pain and how to manage it
• Monitoring how patients react to clinical treatments
• Tracking and recording the symptoms of discomfort over time
• Discussing pain sensations or pain triggers in real time
• Monitoring critical health indicators impacted by pain or pain management

Though RPM is used for monitoring both acute and chronic conditions, it supports long-term care and wellness goals for patients suffering from chronic diseases. RPM technology ensures that patients receive quality care while reducing the number of clinical visits, thereby delivering peace of mind, comfort, and convenience, along with helping with pain management. 

RPM Tools & Devices for Pain Management

When RPM devices are paired with an RPM software or platform, caregivers can centralize patient data for convenient access and obtain real-time data insights. Here are some monitoring tools that can help with pain monitoring and management:

• Activity Trackers: Exercise trackers and other wearable devices, such as smartwatches offer a straightforward yet efficient means of monitoring adherence for patients whose treatment includes physical exercise. These trackers promote improved pain management by recording physical activity in addition to symptom identification.
• Respiratory Monitors: RPM devices that measure vital signs including pulse, respiration rate, and blood oxygen levels may be helpful for patients taking certain medications. By keeping an eye on a patient’s respiratory activity, healthcare providers can quickly identify any alarming changes or indications of non-adherence.
• Blood Pressure Cuffs: Blood pressure cuffs measure variations in the blood flow to determine a patient’s heart rate and blood pressure. These devices transmit blood pressure data in real time to the practitioner for evaluation.
• Glucometers: Glucometers use a little drop of blood deposited on a test strip that is attached to the device to measure a patient’s blood sugar. When a tiny drop of blood is applied to the test strip, the glucometer reads it to determine the blood glucose level and the reading is sent to the healthcare provider in real time for evaluation.
• Pulse Oximeter: A non-invasive clip called a pulse oximeter is attached to the patient’s finger to monitor the light wavelengths that indicate the blood oxygen level, or the amount of oxygen flowing through the patient’s red blood cells. This data is evaluated by a healthcare provider to evaluate a patient’s condition.
• Digital Thermometers: A thermometer tracks body temperature and is used to detect flu and infections at an early stage. If there is any fluctuation in the normal body temperature reading, a healthcare provider can provide timely intervention, as and when needed.

Benefits of Using RPM to Prevent Chronic Pain

For those with chronic pain or other chronic disorders that cause discomfort and necessitate frequent monitoring, RPM is the right remote care program to adopt. In context to both patients and providers:

1. RPM devices can track data, help develop positive habits, and support medication adherence to ease the pain. 
2. It provides medication reminders and notification alerts to detect and manage ill-health symptoms or discomfort. 
3. By keeping an eye on patients’ pain levels, reactions to treatment, and other symptoms, providers can get real-time feedback, quickly modify dosages, and lower the risk of emergencies.
4. Without having to deal with the time and expense of scheduling in-person evaluations to guarantee efficient pain management, providers can monitor their patients through virtual consultations.

Manage Chronic Pain With HealthArc’s RPM Platform

HealthArc RPM software and devices provide one of the best remote patient monitoring services to healthcare providers who want to help their patients manage their chronic pain and address other health issues. 

Since we are aware that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare, we are constantly updating our systems to fill in any gaps. We empower healthcare providers to optimize their patient management outside of clinical settings by providing:

• Effective Patient Care
• Smooth Integration of Health Systems
• Maximized Reimbursement
• Customized Solution with No Setup Fees
• Smooth Integration and Onboarding

By ensuring that the patients receive the right care, treatment plans, and prescriptions for ongoing pain management, HealthArc’s RPM for pain management is an efficient, scalable, and cost-effective way to lower readmissions and Medicare expenses.

Schedule a demo to learn more about our remote patient monitoring platform or call us at (201) 885 5571 to set up a consultation with our experts.