Understanding Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

Remote patient monitoring is when a clinician gives you a device to track aspects of your health at home. Information from the device is sent to your care team.

Why Is RPM Important for Me?

Your clinician may want to track parts of your health more often than you have appointments. This can help you manage your health over time. You can do RPM at home or in your care facility.

RPM means you play an active role in your care. For example, you may need to measure your blood pressure or weight every day. You can do this yourself with a special RPM device. Your care team may ask you to track other aspects of your health with different devices.

RPM Benefits

RPM may:

  • Help you live at home with a chronic condition.
  • Help you go home from the hospital sooner.
  • Keep you healthier over time.
  • Help you understand how changes in your diet can affect your health.
  • Catch problems early.
  • Help prevent going to the hospital or getting nursing care.
  • Give you peace of mind knowing that someone else is watching your health with you.

RPM can help track your health if you have conditions such as:

  • Asthma
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Heart failure
  • Diabetes
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Obesity or extra weight

You and your clinician will set goals about what to track and how often.

How Does RPM Work?

Wearable devices, like a smart watch, can help you track your health. In some devices, the information can be automatically pulled into our system. This makes it easier for your care team to monitor your health needs.

We follow laws about keeping your health information private and secure. If you have questions about data privacy, please ask your care team.

Your clinician will see the information from RPM only when they check it. They will not see it right away. Because of that, if you have an emergency, call 911 or go to an emergency department.

What Does Northwestern Medicine Use for RPM?

  • Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)
  • Apple Health to track:
    • Blood glucose
    • Blood pressure
    • Exercise
    • Heart rate
    • Oxygen saturation (O2)
    • Peak flow
    • Step count
    • Weight
  • Information you enter in MyNM:
    • Blood pressure
    • Exercise
    • Home dialysis
    • Nutrition
    • Peak flow
    • Weight
    • Temperature
    • Oxygen
  • Fitbit

Listing these devices is not an endorsement by Northwestern Medicine.

Health Insurance and RPM

Medicare covers some kinds of RPM. Private insurance may cover some kinds as well. For more details about what your insurance covers, please call them.

When to Contact Your Doctor

Contact your clinician if any of these occur:

  • Your measurements are above or below the level set by your clinician.
  • Your device stops working.
  • You have new symptoms.