The Benefits of Integrating EHR and Remote Patient Monitoring

EHR systems are becoming more popular and most hospitals are adopting the system. That means about 4 out of 5 US office-based physicians have adopted the system. The global electronic health record market is estimated at $31.2 billion in 2024.

However, to enhance its capability, integrating EHR and RPM is better as it provides many advantages. This integration not only improves patient outcomes but also enables real-time monitoring of patients remotely. Utilizing RPM and EHR together in healthcare organizations can provide more personalized care. In this blog, you will learn the benefits of EHR and remote patient monitoring integration.

Why Integration of EHR and Remote Patient Monitoring Should be Done

A study by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology shows that about 96 percent of hospitals have already adopted the EHR system by 2021. Most of the practices have taken up the system for more than just managing the records of patients.

Their goals are to enhance the quality of care and reduce the workload for providers. However, EHR integration alone can, with the addition of remote patient monitoring technology, improve the quality of healthcare.

1. Improving Patient Care

Patient care will be much better when EHR is integrated with remote patient monitoring, as it assures continuity, along with real-time data for early and proactive intervention. Automated capture and transmission of health data, including blood pressure or glucose levels, into the EHR, allow clinicians to: 

• Catch early warning signs 
• Customize care plans 
• Avoid complications. 

Integration moves toward value-based, personalized care, allowing easier making of timely, informed decisions, which improves outcomes for such value-based care.

2. Enhance Provider’s Workflow

Integrating EHR with RPM will reduce the administrative burden on providers through the automation of data collection, reducing manual entry. This integrated solution allows clinicians to view and analyze patient data within their native EHR without toggling between systems. 

This helps to reduce the risk of errors and frees more provider time to care for the patient, not to do administrative work, hence improving productivity and coordination of care​.

Related: How to Integrate Connected Health RPM Data with EHR for Cardiology

Benefits of EHR and RPM Integration

The integration of electronic health records with remote patient monitoring has several benefits both to healthcare providers and the patients themselves. Here are the advantages of such integration:

1. Chronic Disease Management becomes more effective

Chronic diseases are health conditions that usually last for three months to years. Examples of chronic diseases include diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and many more. Chronic disease requires continuous care and effective monitoring. EHR integration with RPM helps to improve the management of chronic health conditions without visiting facilities in person.

It offers continuous monitoring of health vitals in real-time which allows providers to detect any abnormalities beforehand. This way, providers can easily adjust treatments accordingly. Moreover, this approach can help to:

• Reduce Hospital Readmissions
• Emergency Visits

Ultimately, this will lead to long-term health outcomes for patients. For instance, patients with hypertension can have their blood pressure tracked remotely, enabling timely adjustments in medication without frequent office visits​

2. Improving Patient Engagement

The integration of EHR and RPM promotes better patient engagement by allowing patients to have direct access to their health records. 

This transparency enables patients to take an active role in managing and taking care of their health. In this way, patients can effectively follow the treatment plans without missing them.

Real-time feedback from the RPM devices combined with valuable insights from EHR helps to understand the impact of their actions on their health. This increased involvement has been shown to enhance treatment outcomes, particularly in managing chronic conditions.

3. Smoothening the Clinical Workflow

EHR and RPM systems automate routine processes such as data collection and alert generation. This can otherwise consume providers’ clinical time. Minimization of manual data entry hence simplification of the monitoring process would lead to freeing up more health providers’ time for direct care.

Integrations not only reduce the great wastage of time but also the chances of error, making it easier to handle large populations of patients in areas where staff resources are scarce​.

4. Early Detection and Prevention of Health Crises

It enables the development of continuous health monitoring, hence permitting any potential abnormalities to be apprehended before they become critical. For example, RPM can monitor slight changes in the patient’s vital signs, such as an unnoticed gradual increase in blood sugar levels, and notify the health professional through the EHR system.

This early intervention ability prevents difficulties, lowers emergency admissions, and improves patient outcomes for individuals with complicated or chronic illnesses.

5. Data-Driven Decision Making

The large amount of data generated by RPM devices, which are integrated with EHR systems, provides a comprehensive view of patients’ health to healthcare providers. It provides advanced analytics on data, which enables clinicians to monitor trends and individualize treatment.

Informed, data-driven decisions upgrade the quality of care, heighten the efficacy of treatments, and increase patient satisfaction and outcomes. For example, analyzing the trends of heart rate variability may suggest a personalized cardiovascular treatment plan.

Related: Integrating Patient-Generated RPM Data into Clinical Workflows for Rehabilitation Medicine

Challenges of Integrating EHR and Remote Patient Monitoring

Though it benefits in many ways, they are also associated with many challenges. 

During the process of this integration, many technical burdens may arise. Here are some of the challenges of EHR and RPM integration:

1. Interoperability

Interoperability may arise a big concern when it comes to integrating EHR and RPM. During the process of this integration, the different systems need to communicate with each other and exchange data seamlessly. This is what breaks the barrier to the effectiveness of the integration efforts.

2. Security and Compliance

The integration of RPM data into EHR systems complicates the privacy and security of patient information. Healthcare providers must follow severe rules, such as HIPAA in the United States, to protect patient data and assure compliance.

3. EHR Compatibility

Healthcare providers may require assistance ensuring that their selected RPM solutions work seamlessly with their existing EHR systems. The variety of EHR systems, each with its own set of criteria and requirements, complicates the process of successfully integrating them.

CapMinds EHR and RPM Integration Service

There are several advantages of integrating EHR and RPM which leads to better patient outcomes as well as easier workflow for the providers.

CapMinds has the experience and the ability to offer completely integrated solutions that develop partnerships among these technologies. Here’s what our service offers:

• Real-time Data Synchronization
• Customizable Integration Solutions
• Patient Engagement Tools
• Comprehensive Reporting and Analytics
• Secure Communication Channels

CapMinds understands the pain points that healthcare practices go through. Our customized solutions have been meant just for you as an individual practitioner. Our integration service assists you in improving patient care or even smoothening up your operations.

CapMinds has what it takes to give your organization permission to be within the fold of this emancipatory revolution in its entirety.

Rely on CapMinds to transform your healthcare delivery with a comprehensive solution.