Almost 30 Million Americans Living With Chronic Conditions Will Visit the ER During the Holiday Season

Cellular remote patient monitoring (RPM)™ from Smart Meter is not just a technological convenience; it is a vital tool that ensures patients receive consistent, quality care even during the bustling holiday season. This is especially important when you consider that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that approximately 23 percent of chronic disease patients, or about 30 million Americans, will make a trip to the emergency room during the holidays.

The holidays can pose unique challenges for healthcare systems, providers, and patients leading to:

• Reduced Access to In-Person Care: Physicians, practices and clinics may operate on limited schedules, and healthcare professionals often take well-deserved time off.
• Increased Stress for Patients: Traveling, disrupted routines, and indulgent meals can exacerbate health conditions, particularly for individuals with diabetes, heart disease, or hypertension.
• Longer Waits for Emergency Room Visits: A lot of crises occur during the holidays due to neglect of symptoms, dietary indulgences, or delayed treatment and most people will seek treatment at an emergency room due to limited access elsewhere.

These factors make it imperative to have a proactive healthcare strategy in place, and cellular RPM can fill this critical gap by providing real-time health data and fostering continuous care. By catching and addressing potential issues early, cellular RPM reduces the likelihood of emergency room visits, which as highlighted by statistics, are very common during the holidays. In addition, cellular RPM use gained wide acceptance during COVID because of limited access to healthcare and can be invaluable during the holidays because it can reduce burdens on healthcare facilities during a time when they may be understaffed due to vacations. This relieves pressure on overburdened healthcare systems while keeping patients safer at home.

There are many ways that cellular RPM can help patients with chronic conditions and the providers that care for them during the holidays. These include:

1. Continuous Care Without Disruptions - Cellular RPM ensures patients receive care even when in-person visits are not feasible. For example, a patient managing hypertension can have their blood pressure monitored remotely, enabling providers to spot concerning trends and recommend lifestyle or medication changes without requiring an office visit.
2. For providers, it minimizes the risk of overlooked symptoms that could escalate into emergencies. By monitoring and controlling chronic conditions with cellular RPM, patients can avoid time-consuming and costly trips to the ER.

Health conditions don’t take a holiday, and cellular RPM has been proven to help chronic disease patients maintain and improve their conditions because it allows them to be in control. In addition, cellular RPM helps patients adhere to their treatment plans by providing real-time feedback and accountability.

There are many real-use studies that prove the effectiveness of cellular RPM. In a Howard University study of patients with diabetes using Smart Meter’s cellular-enabled iGlucose® glucometer, 70% of the high-risk participants lowered their A1c by an average of 2.8% within 90 days¹. And a Frederick Home Health Home Care (MD) study showed a 50% reduction in emergency department visits.²

Using cellular RPM also makes it more convenient for patients to travel during the holidays because they aren’t limited to locations with WiFi access. Cellular RPM devices allow patients to stay connected to their healthcare team regardless of location. And with cellular RPM, healthcare providers can easily track patients, even when they are not in their home, helping to identify concerning trends and enabling timely action to prevent complications. Smart Meter’s cellular RPM solutions require no synching, pairing, internet, smart phone, or hub for the reading to be sent immediately. Plus, some of Smart Meter’s cellular solutions include a multi-carrier SIM, so it searches for the cell network with the strongest signal, assuring that the patient’s data will be transmitted seamlessly no matter where they are in the country.

To learn more about the many advantages of cellular RPM, especially during the holidays, please visit Smart Meter’s website.

About Smart Meter, LLC

Smart Meter is the trusted supplier of Remote Patient Monitoring (“RPM”) solutions. We empower a nationwide network of SmartPartners^TM who are working directly with healthcare providers to transform patient care. Millions of vital health data readings are reliably delivered across our platform to enable real-time, better-informed health care. Our proprietary patient-friendly cellular FDA-registered monitoring devices are connected to an exclusive AT&T 4/5G network to ensure an engaging patient experience for improved adherence. For more information, visit SmartMeterRPM.com

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 - https://www.healthrecoverysolutions.com/hubfs/Frederick%20Health%20Case%20Study.pdf

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