In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Global Telehealth Services (GTS) has been doing our part to socially distance. We are working from home and participating in team meetings using Skype and video chats when it makes sense. 

We believe 2 things:
1) being remote is the best way to flatten the curve, and
2) being remote does not have to feel remote. 

As a company that supports medical practices with Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), we understand the importance of feeling connected. 

Keeping patients out of the hospital has always been a goal, but now more than ever we have an interest in keeping patients at home.  Because of COVID-19 we are having more discussions than ever on how practices can successfully deploy remote patient monitoring and remote care programs.

Some benefits of remote patient monitoring during COVID-19 include:

• Maintain high-quality care for patients who are not able to come into the clinic
• Pre-screening with a Covid-19 Assessment to check for symptoms
• Safely monitor patients who test positive for COVID-19
• Protect your staff by limiting their exposure
• Add bandwidth to overworked staff with remote call center

That means less in-person visits to regular doctor's appointments. How can we do that, and still have good quality of care? By using the GTS VirtualHealth platform. Our service allows patients to track their vital signs and self-report on symptoms so that care providers can follow their health in real time. Whether patients have chronic conditions or are concerned about emerging conditions like Covid-19, RPM is a great way to share information while keeping a safe distance.

In Remote Patient Monitoring, “remote” can be mean a distance of miles between a care provider and patient or as we are learning in the case of Covid-19 outbreak, a matter of a few feet.  One of the unfortunate realities of this crisis is the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Having to change PPE regularly after visiting a patient has been a challenge and people are looking for creative solutions.  One hospital has started using RPM to track the vitals of patients in isolation, as well as using video conferencing to communicate with the patients without needing to step foot in the room. RPM cannot fully replace the hands-on care that nurses and doctors provide, but if it can reduce the visits and PPE can be reserved for the most important situations.  As make-shift trauma centers are established, tent hospitals setup on football fields and as we prepare to handle more cases than the system currently has capacity for, creative solutions will be necessary. Consider how RPM can be a force multiplier to help ease the crisis.

The next few months will be painful for the nation. The projections on numbers of illnesses and deaths is staggering. It will end, but there will be changes to our society.

• Businesses will have better experience working from home.
• Telecommunications companies will be better able to support media streaming and video conferencing. 
• People will be more aware of the contamination risks associated with medical facilities.
• AND, RPM will be a more widely accepted, and expected, way of providing health care without the constant need for physical contact. 

We at GTS are looking forward to helping....
We would love to hear how RPM solutions have made your response to the current crisis more efficient.

If you have questions about how RPM can help you provide more care to more people, please contact us.