RPM for Small Clinics: A Simple Way to Manage Setup, Workflows & Billing

Healthcare providers of small clinics constantly face challenges in balancing patient care with managing the demands. They look for ways to improve patient outcomes, increase efficiency, and secure your clinic’s financial health, all without adding significant administrative burden.

RPM is a powerful and accessible tool that can revolutionize how small clinics manage patient care, particularly for those with chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease. 

This blog will break down how RPM for small clinics works, from a simple setup to streamlined workflows and straightforward billing.

What is RPM? Why is it Ideal for Small Clinics?

Remote Patient Monitoring involves the use of digital health technology such as linked blood pressure cuffs, glucometers, and pulse oximeters, to acquire and send patient health information from their homes to your clinic. This information can then be made available to your clinical group to review and process in real-time.

The Benefits for Small Clinics

Proactive Care, Not Reactive – RPM also offers a constant flow of data instead of waiting until a patient visits a medical clinic quarterly and finds out that their blood pressure is too high. This will enable you to intervene at an early stage to avoid the possible crisis and enhance patient outcomes.

Improved Patient Engagement – Patients are more engaged in their care when they are aware that their data is being tracked. They will be engaged in their own health journey, resulting in increased compliance with care plans.

Increased Revenue – RPM services are billed using certain CPT codes and offer a new and stable income to your practice.

Better Productivity – Fewer in-person visits for data collection frees up your schedule for more complicated cases, yet you will still be delivering quality and sustained care to a patient.

The 3 Key Components of a Successful RPM Program

1. Establishing Your RPM Program

Select the Right Technology 

Find a solution that provides user-friendly, mobile-enabled devices. Patients need not struggle with Wi-Fi or frustrating Bluetooth connections. The information is automatically sent to your clinic; thus, it is a hassle-free process. 

The software must also be seamless with your current EHR to eliminate any redundancy of data entry and simplify your operations.

Target Your Patients

Start small, focus on a particular group of patients, such as patients with hypertension or diabetes, who would benefit most when monitored continuously. 

They are usually the patients who need to be checked regularly and whose situation is strongly dependent on their way of living and measurements, which they take daily.

Onboarding Patients is Essential

Once you have found your patients, it is essential to have a smooth onboarding process. Select an RPM vendor that offers a wide range of patient support, such as education and technical support. You should make sure that the patients feel at ease with the gadgets.

Related: How to Set Up a Remote Patient Monitoring System for Your Clinic

2. Managing Your Workflows

After you have set up your program, your everyday workflow is likely to be converted to a more proactive model.

Daily Data Review

A dedicated employee, such as a nurse or medical assistant, will go through the reviewed patient data, which has already been transmitted. 

The RPM program must include a set of alert systems that can be customized according to your team’s needs and inform them that a patient has readings that do not fall within a pre-established range.

Proactive Intervention

When the blood pressure of a patient is upward, your staff can initiate contact with the patient.  This could be a short phone call to ensure their diet, or taking their medication, or a message via a patient portal. This basic check-in will save an emergency room visit in the future.

Documentation

You will record all communications and data reviews as documents. It is necessary not only to take proper care of the patient, but also a vital factor to ensure billing compliance. 

A good RPM software platform will automate the documentation, and it will be straightforward to keep track of the time spent on each patient.

3. Streamlined Financial Health Billing

Reimbursement is another attractive feature of Remote Patient Monitoring for small clinics. Most of the private payers have clear guidelines and CPT codes for RPM services provided by Medicare.

The following are the most important CPT codes:

• CPT 99453: This is a single charge for the initial setup and patient education.
• CPT 99454: It is a monthly code that is charged when the device is supplied and at least 16 days of data is collected within 30 days of time.
• CPT 99457: This code includes 20 minutes a month of clinical staff time devoted to data analysis and interaction with the patient.
• CPT 99458: An add-on code for every 20 minutes of clinical time.

Effective documentation is a key to effective billing. The RPM software will be able to automatically monitor time and data to help you meet the requirements of every CPT code, which will streamline the billing process and increase the level of reimbursement.

Vozo’s Remote Patient Monitoring Solution

Remote patient monitoring brings healthcare checkups to your fingertips. With the support of RPM devices, healthcare practices become straightforward and convenient for both patients and providers.

Vozo RPM solution is the best option to adapt for healthcare professionals. Our remote patient monitoring solution will help track and evaluate patient vital signs and health data.

It is advantageous to communicate with patients digitally to adjust treatment plans and educate them about their health conditions. Our RPM program will allow you to improve patient health outcomes and reduce readmissions. 

Leverage Vozo’s Remote Patient Monitoring Program to provide healthcare conveniently.