PERS & RPM: A Powerful Combination

by Rob Flippo*

In early March 2022, Healthcare Technology CEO, Robert Flippo, provided an article to HomeCareMag.com with expert insights on how the combination of Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) "provides a double safety net that is beneficial to both patients and providers."

The following is excerpted from that article. **

Many years ago, after MobileHelp ( a leading provider of PERS and personal health management technology) launched the beta test of a new RPM solution that added PERS functionality to the mix, a remarkable thing happened:

It worked exactly the way it was supposed to.

A congestive heart failure patient in the beta test noticed her blood pressure numbers were trending upward. She pushed the “HELP” button on her RPM device and was soon explaining to an emergency operator that she needed emergency assistance.

When the emergency medical technicians arrived on the scene, she explained that her blood pressure numbers were trending upwards. … they immediately knew how to treat her, and were able to address her situation with exactly the right level of care.

It was a watershed moment for the company. Giving chronic care patients access to both vital signs and emergency help represented the type of patient-empowering technology that clients and providers need to ensure that an aging-in-place solution works.

Connecting Patients to Providers

For patients in need of chronic care, or older adults aging in place, regular access to health care providers is essential. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 42% of adults in the United States postponed medical treatment during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The expansion of telehealth services provided safe and convenient health care options for high-risk individuals concerned about contracting the virus, yet still in need of regular care.

It also how much medical care that was previously done entirely in person could be accomplished remotely.

RPM + PERS = More Than the Sum of Their Parts

RPM solutions offer the potential for early prevention through the regular tracking of patient vitals, while the use of PERS allows patients to quickly seek help if an emergency should arise.

Healthcare Provider Benefits

The pandemic accelerated the acceptance and adoption of RPM and PERS solutions among healthcare providers, as well. The recent reimbursement of remote care by Medicare, and the temporary expansion of reimbursement during the pandemic, indicates the ROI could be exponentially higher on remote monitoring in the future.

In addition, data collected through RPM healthcare solutions also provides a wealth of information to help providers predict and prevent potential problems. Combining RPM and PERS solutions decreases risk, and cost, to providers as well as patients.

Benefits to Patients

For patients managing chronic conditions or aging in place, the increased monitoring and security that this combined solution provides bring greater independence and a better overall understanding of personal health. RPM can catch changes early and keep patients out of the hospital.

By leveraging mobile PERS solutions, chronic care patients and older adults aging in place may retain independence in the home and venture outside the home without fear. Combined with RPM, PERS allows patients to take charge of their own health - ushering in a way to care for patients in the future.

To learn more about Clear Arch Health and exciting innovations for advancing telehealth and mobile healthcare, please visit our website.

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* Rob Flippo is co-founder and CEO of MobileHelp (and its healthcare division, Clear Arch Health).?In his current role, Rob has been responsible for growing MobileHelp from two employees to more than 250, with a current customer base of nearly 325,000. In his tenure as CEO, he also successfully negotiated the sale of the company to ABRY Partners in 2017.?

**View this article in its entirety, and in its original format, here.