The need for primary care services in the UK is greater than ever. People are living longer and a significant proportion suffering from chronic disease. With over 300 million patients seeking primary care consultations each year, the NHS is under constant pressure to improve access to healthcare.1 One of the top priorities is to balance resources and workforce against this increase in demand.2 The COVID-19 pandemic has brought this imbalance into sharp focus, and the healthcare industry is now actively seeking solutions to improve access to patients outside of primary care clinics. One solution that has gained a lot of attention is remote patient monitoring (RPM).
What is RPM?
RPM refers to the use of technology to monitor patient health outside of a traditional clinical setting.3 Health data such as blood pressure, heart rate, and other vital signs are generated from patients and sent to healthcare providers for review. RPM is a major aspect of telemedicine, which deals with the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients using telecommunications technology.4 Over the last couple of decades, telemedicine has made great strides due to advancements in technology and the increased adoption of these technologies by patients.
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