Report: Remote patient monitoring on the upswing

I'm always skeptical of studies by big market research firms that try to get people to buy their research without providing any hard data in a press release or executive summary. Such is the case with the new Frost & Sullivan report, "Technological Advancements and Favorable Environment Uplift Prospects for Remote Patient Monitoring."

The press release starts by saying, "remote patient monitoring [RPM] or telehealth has taken huge strides forward, and the demand for this technology is on the upswing, especially among home care agencies, disease management companies and clinical trial groups." Unfortunately, there are no figures provided. The key point is what's not stated: There isn't an increase in demand for this technology among physicians, at least in the U.S., because they're not being paid for using it.

The international study does, however, pinpoint technological reasons why remote monitoring of chronic disease patients may finally be starting to catch on in some quarters:

"The advent of low-energy Bluetooth, near-field communication [NFC], secure data management and wireless sensor platforms are catalyzing the mode of healthcare delivery. Participation from market giants, such as GE, Google, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Philips, Qualcomm, Siemens and Wal-Mart, has enabled development of remote monitoring products that effectively interface IT and life science technologies. Commercialization of RPM technologies is also shifting delivery of healthcare from a hospital-centric to a patient-centric approach."

Among the barriers to adoption of remote monitoring, the report says, are "the absence of wide scale reimbursement, the lack of standardization, and global regulatory policies governing technology usage." 

To learn more:
- see the press release