In the modern healthcare landscape, patient testing can play a pivotal role in diagnosing, managing, and preventing chronic diseases. Tests can provide critical data that enable healthcare providers to make informed decisions. However, the effectiveness of these tests depends heavily on patient adherence to testing guidelines. Non-adherence to recommended testing protocols can lead to delayed diagnoses, poor disease management, and overall worsened health outcomes.
Let’s explore how improving patient testing adherence can lead to better health outcomes, the factors that influence adherence, how cellular remote patient monitoring (RPM)™ can help and other strategies that healthcare providers can employ to encourage compliance.
The Importance of Regular Testing
Testing is the backbone of preventive medicine and disease management. It can lead to early detection of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and COPD, when interventions are most effective. For patients with chronic conditions, regular testing with cellular RPM devices can be critical for managing their condition and making timely adjustments to treatment plans.
One of the strongest aspects of a cellular RPM device lies in its ability to transmit data that can be collected, aggregated, and analyzed. In addition to tracking blood glucose levels, blood pressure and other key vitals, these devices can also help provide a more complete picture of a person’s overall health. Analyzing this data provides critical insights into actionable steps toward better health.
Early Detection Of Significant Changes
Many conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders, are silent in their early stages. Patients at risk could begin routine testing with cellular RPM devices to help identify concerning trends and allow for changes before they progress to a stage where treatment becomes more difficult or less effective. For example:
- Glucose level testing with cellular RPM can help patients living with diabetes, allowing their provider an opportunity to create a care plan that could prevent the disease from worsening.
- Blood pressure monitoring on a consistent basis with cellular RPM is an excellent way to identify patients who could develop cardiovascular disease or have an increased risk of stroke.
Without regular adherence to testing schedules, early intervention of drastic changes in vital signs is often missed, leading to more severe disease states that require more intensive and expensive treatments.
Improved Chronic Disease Management
For patients with chronic illnesses, regular testing is crucial to ensure their condition is stable and responding to treatment. Blood glucose monitoring for people with diabetes and blood pressure readings for people with hypertension or heart disease are examples where testing adherence is necessary for optimal health. Deviating from these testing schedules can result in poorly controlled diseases, increasing the risk of complications such as heart attacks, and strokes.
Factors That Influence Patient Adherence and How Cellular RPM Helps
Several factors contribute to patient non-adherence to testing protocols, and understanding these can help healthcare providers design better interventions to improve adherence.
- Lack of Awareness
One common reason patients do not adhere to testing schedules is a lack of understanding of the importance of these tests. Many patients may not fully grasp the long-term benefits of regular monitoring or feel that the tests are unnecessary if they aren't experiencing symptoms.
- Cost and Accessibility
Financial barriers could be another obstacle to testing adherence. This is particularly true for Bluetooth®-connected continuous glucose monitors for people with diabetes. This can be solved with cellular RPM because a standard glucometer is more affordable. In addition, some people in rural or underserved areas that have limited access to healthcare facilities can take advantage of transmitting vital sign data to their provider instead of making an office visit.
- Complexity of Monitoring Technology
If a patient can afford a Bluetooth-connected device, there are many challenges when it comes to proper connection and keeping them connected. Devices that rely on Bluetooth technology to transmit data from the sensor to the receiver or smartphone app often have connection failure issues. When this connection is lost, both patients and providers can miss critical glucose readings, potentially leading to unsafe situations.
In surveys of more than 200 people with diabetes and more than 200 people with hypertension, more than 50% of both groups said they have issues sending their results to their provider with Bluetooth-connected devices.
Strategies to Improve Patient Testing Adherence
Addressing the root causes of non-adherence requires a multifaceted approach. Here are several strategies healthcare providers can use to encourage patients to adhere to their testing protocols.
Education and Communication
Clear communication is essential in helping patients understand why testing is important. Healthcare providers should take the time to explain:
The purpose of each test.
The potential consequences of not adhering to the recommended schedule.
How the test results will guide treatment and improve health outcomes.
Visual aids, brochures, and digital health platforms can also help reinforce the importance of testing and provide reminders.
The Use of Cellular RPM Devices
Implementing a cellular RPM program for patients, especially those with chronic conditions who may require consistent testing data to ensure better outcomes, can help providers manage more patients and reduce in-office visits.
Here are some other reasons how cellular RPM is an important part of patient care.
- They are Convenient:
Cellular RPM devices can be used anywhere, at any time, as long as there is cellular coverage. This eliminates the need for patients to travel to healthcare facilities for monitoring, which can be time-consuming and inconvenient. This can be especially helpful for patients who live in remote or rural areas, or for those who have mobility issues.
- They Are Secure:
Another advantage of cellular RPM devices is that they are designed to transmit data securely over cellular networks. This is important because it ensures that patient data is protected from unauthorized access or tampering. Cellular RPM devices use encryption to protect data and require users to authenticate themselves to prevent unauthorized access.
- They Are Easy-To-Use:
Cellular RPM devices are designed with ease of use in mind, making them more accessible and appealing to patients. They have simple interfaces that are intuitive and user-friendly. Patients can easily view and interpret their health data on the device's screen, without needing extensive technical knowledge or training. In a 2023 survey of people with Type 2 diabetes, 7-out-of-10 users of Bluetooth devices said they had issues transmitting their readings. Bluetooth connection failures can frustrate patients, leading to less use and less testing, which means less data sent to the provider for timely interventions.
Reducing Financial Barriers
Healthcare providers can work with patients to identify financial resources or insurance coverage options that can help make remote patient monitoring affordable. Medicare/Medicaid may be able to help offset some of the costs.
Emotional Support
Healthcare providers should be aware of the emotional factors that can influence patient behavior. Offering psychological support, counseling, or connecting patients with peer support groups can alleviate test anxiety and fear. Providers can also adopt a more empathetic approach when discussing the outcomes of testing, focusing on the benefits of knowing one’s health status rather than the potential negative findings.
The Impact of Improved Adherence on Health Outcomes
When patients adhere to cellular RPM testing guidelines, the benefits are clear. Better management of chronic conditions, and reduced healthcare costs are just a few of the advantages. Most importantly, patients who stick to their testing schedules often enjoy improved quality of life and longer life expectancy.
There are many real-world cases where cellular RPM has proven to be effective in improving patient outcomes. In a Howard University study1 of patients with diabetes using the iGlucose®, 70% of high-risk participants lowered their A1c by an average of 2.8% within 90 days3.
A 30-day study by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences2 of 59 pregnant women with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, who frequently tested with Smart Meter’s cellular-enabled iGlucose® glucometer showed an increased satisfaction with their diabetes management. Eighty-six percent of participants noted that the automatic transmission of blood glucose results to their physician helped them better maintain their condition.
Baum Consulting Services implemented an RPM program3 using Smart Meter’s cellular iBloodPressure® and iGlucose and saw excellent results. One of the highlights of the program included a male patient in his 70s with hypertension, who, after two out-of-range blood pressure readings had adjustments made to his medication was able to avoid an emergency room visit. Another patient with diabetes had an A1c of 10.4 before starting the program but was able to reduce that to 6.6 in about a year and a half on the RPM program.
Conclusion
Patient testing adherence is a cornerstone of effective healthcare. While there are several barriers to adherence, healthcare providers can improve outcomes through patient education, emotional support, and the use of cellular RPM devices for reliable, accurate and secure transmission of important vital signs. By ensuring that patients follow through with their recommended tests, the worsening of chronic conditions can be detected earlier, making chronic disease management more effective and helping to prevent adverse events.
1 -The Benefits of Remote Monitoring of Real Time Blood Glucose Data Using iGlucose System in Managing Patients with Diabetes, Howard University Diabetes Center.
2 - Use of Cellular-Enabled Glucometer for Diabetes Management in High-Risk Pregnancy - Jones RD, Peng C, Odom L, Moody H, Eswaran H (2023) Use of cellular-enabled glucometer for diabetes management in high-risk pregnancy, Telemedicine Reports 4:1, 307–316, DOI: 10.1089/tmr.2023.0033.
3 - https://smartmeterrpm.com/research-provides-proof-that-cellular-rpm-is-easy-to-use-and-can-improve-outcomes/
