Telehealth vs. Remote Patient Monitoring: What’s the Difference?

Technology has spawned new healthcare delivery methods that transcend traditional healthcare settings. However, as new ways of delivering and managing care emerge, the new terms that come along with them might confuse patients and providers alike.

Telehealth and remote patient monitoring are two of the most popular emerging care delivery and management methods today. However, these two terms are often used interchangeably across the healthcare industry, leading to confusion regarding their difference.

While similarities abound, there are stark distinctions between telehealth and remote patient monitoring. They are two separate concepts that serve different purposes.

What is Remote Patient Monitoring?

Remote patient monitoring (also called RPM) refers to the use of digital technology to transmit health-related information from patients at home to their providers. Advanced RPM systems, like LiveCare, leverage the latest innovations in information technology to allow providers to remotely monitor their patients’ conditions and gather essential data without having them visit the clinic.

Often coming in the form of wearable devices and other widely available gadgets like smartphones or tablets, remote patient monitoring increases patient engagement and improves the quality of care without getting in the way of a patient’s day-to-day.

Remote patient monitoring is a healthcare delivery method that aims to provide patients agency over managing their care outside of the traditional care settings. It could be a life-saver, especially for elderly patients and those in far-flung areas who don’t have convenient access to healthcare facilities.

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth is the term used to describe a broad range of care delivery systems and services that utilizes digital technology. It is an umbrella term used to refer to other digitally-enabled healthcare services, methodologies, and technologies, like telemedicine.

Read More: Telemedicine vs. Telehealth: What’s the Difference?

Simply put, remote patient monitoring is a kind of telehealth service. However, there’s no shame if you’ve previously misused these terms—they are, after all, new to most of us.

Increasing Remote Care Access

Considering the benefits remote care brings, all industry stakeholders must aim to promote and increase its access. That’s why Meditab and LiveCare forged a pivotal partnership to bring the most cutting-edge remote care technologies closer to providers and their patients.

By integrating LiveCare’s RPM products with Meditab’s Intelligent Medical Software (IMS), providers can easily capture and monitor patient data directly from their EHR. Pair that with IMS’s built-in mobile tools and telemedicine solution, Televisit, and what you get is an EHR that positions your practice for the future of care.

As the healthcare industry aggressively pivots to digital technologies, new ways of delivering care will continue to pop up. Regardless of whether you’re a patient or a provider, understanding these changes helps you grasp the direction of healthcare’s future.