Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

Definition: Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is the use of digital technology that allows providers to monitor and assess medical and other health data from patients outside of the traditional in-person or telehealth visit structure.^1,2 Information is electronically transmitted to providers for review, which allows for the management of acute and chronic health conditions by taking into account more comprehensive data.^2,3

How it relates to PCMH: RPM can be used within the PCMH model to enhance patient care by collecting data on patients' vital signs, physiologic markers, symptoms, and medication adherence, among others, which can then be used by the entire care team to make more informed recommendations for patients’ treatment and care.⁴

Additionally, RPM can facilitate more productive remote consultations between patients and health care providers, which can be especially beneficial for patients in underserved and/or rural areas or for patients with mobility and/or transportation barriers. RPM empowers providers with more comprehensive data to review and greatly expands the level of care that can be provided via telephone or video visits. Such strategies may decrease patients’ travel burden, costs, infection risk, and time away from work.³ The data obtained from RPM can also be used on a holistic level to identify trends and patterns in disease management, which can inform population health-level interventions.¹

Pharmacists can play a role in RPM by virtually monitoring a patient’s health parameters for outliers allowing for thorough patient care and improved health outcomes.⁵ Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to provide care via RPM between a patient’s annual medical visits with their primary care provider.⁵

In some instances, there may be opportunities for pharmacists’ RPM services to be covered by payers. In the Medicare program, pharmacists working as auxiliary personnel under the supervision of a physician or other qualified health care provider (QHP) can provide some components of RPM services. The physician or QHP then bills Medicare for the pharmacist’s services.⁶

Overall, RPM can help enable and facilitate the PCMH model by arming health care providers with more information to better coordinate, manage, and improve the provision of patient care.

Involved organizations/oversight: Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), American Medical Association (AMA)

Resources

1. Prevounce. A comprehensive guide to remote patient monitoring. Indianapolis: Prevounce. Available at: https://www.prevounce.com/a-comprehensive-guide-to-remote-patient-monitoring. Accessed March 21, 2023.
2. American Medical Association. Remote Patient Monitoring Implementation Playbook overview. Chicago: American Medical Association. Available at: https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital/remote-patient-monitoring-implementation-playbook-overview. Accessed March 21, 2023.
3. Health Resources and Services Administration. Telehealth and remote patient monitoring. Washington, DC: Health Resources and Services Administration. Available at: https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/preparing-patients-for-telehealth/telehealth-and-remote-patient-monitoring/. Accessed March 21, 2023.
4. Center for Connected Health Policy. What is telehealth? West Sacramento, CA: Center for Connected Health Policy. Available at: https://www.cchpca.org/what-is-telehealth/?category=remote-patient-monitoring. Accessed March 21, 2023.
5. PCS Rx Consulting. Remote patient monitoring (RPM). Plano, TX: PCS Rx Consulting. Available at: https://pcsrxconsulting.com/departments/remote-patient-monitoring-rpm/. Accessed March 21, 2023.
6. CMS. Final policy, payment, and quality provisions changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for Calendar Year 2021. Baltimore: CMS. Available at: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/final-policy-payment-and-quality-provisions-changes-medicare-physician-fee-schedule-calendar-year-1. Accessed March 21, 2023.

Contributing authors