Remote Health Monitoring: The New Normal
The Changing Times We Are Prepared For
Companies like Plantiga have been provided an opportunity in these times of uncertainty. Last week therapists and coaches might have thought assessing clients outside the clinic was a “good idea.” This week they have been forced to find a way to monitor outcomes and make decisions remotely, evaluating their patients who are not physically in their brick and mortar clinic. Instead care has to be provided virtually.
In this moment, we have an unique opportunity to demonstrate the power of Plantiga as a remote health monitoring tool like never before.
As businesses close their doors or cut staff around the world, so too are clinics and other allied health services bracing for a downturn. These are challenging times for any healthcare group.
Those that survive will be able to connect meaningfully with their clients in a remote environment and create rehabilitation programs based on data collected from home-based wearable sensors.
Moving forward, it is difficult to tell how long social distancing will remain mandated by public health officials. It may be our new normal for a while. It’s fair to assume the delivery of healthcare services will be permanently changed by this pandemic. Today’s world looks dramatically different than it did even 3 weeks ago.
People are staying home and will continue to do so at new rates. That said, the number of individuals who could benefit from physical therapy will persist and physical therapy will continue to be an essential service to society.
Individuals will seek rehabilitation services that can be delivered in the comfort (and safety) of their own home. Virtual consulting via telehealth will likely remain the industry standard for the rest of 2020, and beyond.
Up until this point the Plantiga system has largely been used in clinical settings to track walk, run, jump and load tests. But now we have the potential for individual users to own sensors, collect and track their own data and be even more invested in their progress toward their goals.
Remote health monitoring has always been Plantiga’s goal. We see the platform as the ideal self-monitoring tool enabling individuals to take an ownership role in their health and wellbeing.
The focus of healthcare has been changing for some time from being reactive (dealing with issues when they arise) to proactive (preventing issues before they arise). We are definitely a part of this new movement.
Remote Health Monitoring
Our plans were to add remote monitoring features this year. In light of the current business climate, and because a lot of our customers have asked about it over the last week, we are moving up this work. We will be ready to launch this in the next few months.
This service will help a clinic build new revenue streams in the current environment. It’ll help address the new reality of monitoring rehabilitation and performance outcomes while keeping individuals at home.
Very soon, a physical therapy patient will be able to purchase a personal use sensor kit through an online link shared with them by one of our clinics. Along with their telehealth appointments, they’ll be shown how to record their own programs, as well conduct at-home walk, run, jump and load tests. The results of these tests can then be reviewed and discussed during their virtual appointments to enhance programming and decision-making.
Once treatment has been completed, they can drop the kit off at the clinic where it’s cleaned and sanitized, ready to use on the next patient. Should they wish to continue using Plantiga, they may purchase a longer subscription and check in with their therapist periodically.
Where We’re Going
The physical therapy industry has been disrupted by COVID-19 in a major way. Clinicians must find a way to connect meaningfully with clients outside of their clinic.
Companies that can adjust to this new reality of telehealth consults and home-based patient monitoring will be the ones that survive and thrive.
Plantiga is poised to take advantage of one of the most challenging times I’ve ever witnessed. We will deploy a new remote health monitoring tool and teach both therapists and individual users the power of Plantiga assessments and rehab analytics.
Here’s to a new partnership in remote health monitoring and to Plantiga assessments enhancing Telehealth consults in the coming months.
If you’re a clinic, practitioner or healthcare group looking to implement remote monitoring, please reach out to us at sales@plantiga.com. We’d love to help.
