October 24, 2022

Playing Catch-Up: Hospitals Seek High-Tech Solutions to Meet Telehealth Demands

Remote telemetry for cardiac monitoring is a growing segment of the medical device market. Hospitals, providers, and patients all understand the need for high-tech, reliable monitoring that can go from hospital to home without compromising care. InfoBionic’s fully portable MoMe™ ARC Platform* is poised to revolutionize mobile and remote telemetry.

(Waltham, MA) October 24, 2022 — In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed hospital operations. As facilities limited non-COVID care, medical providers turned to telehealth solutions to treat patients.¹ Patients and providers relied on a patchwork of videoconferencing systems, patient portals, and rudimentary home health equipment to manage non-emergency care. “Value-based care means flexibility in clinical capability,” says Stuart Long, CEO of InfoBionic, The Virtual Telemetry Company. “Portable telemetry for on-site use and remote telemetry for home use are the logical next steps in this era of virtual care. Telehealth is only growing in popularity and effectiveness. Now is the time for hospitals to augment their current telehealth practices with robust yet adaptable technology.”

The pandemic revealed two major findings about telehealth. 1) First, patients appreciate the convenience of home access to medical information and communication with providers. 2) Second, the technology for remote healthcare is insufficient for the needs of patients.

Providers and healthcare facilities are racing to upgrade systems to use telehealth more effectively in the near future. Remote telemetry for monitoring patients’ vital functions is a top technology priority. Industry analysts predict that the market for remote cardiac monitoring devices will grow from $6.48 billion to $11.49 billion annually by 2030.² Companies like InfoBionic are stepping up to provide the next generation of remote telemetry tools.

Telemetry refers to any system that allows medical staff to monitor patients without being present in the room. Hospital systems regularly use telemetry to monitor patients.

Patients in an ICU, for example, might be one of the most sophisticated stationary cardiac monitors that are remotely monitored 24/7 and incorporate that several life critical vital signs. In contrast, staff would use different telemetry systems designed to monitor patients with less acute needs, but the patient would still occupy a designated step-down or progressive care telemetry bed with continuous monitoring. These latter systems monitor fewer vital signs and are not intended for severely ill or the highest acuity patients. Further, they can be limited in their portability and often are confined to just these areas of the hospital, thereby making it difficult to transport patients to non-telemetry areas of the hospital like radiology or cardiology.

Hospitals have a limited number of beds that can accommodate the high- and mid-level telemetry that patients need. As a result, patients may remain in the ICU longer than necessary due to a lack of step-down beds. For many patients, monitoring is the only service they need from a hospital.

Advanced mobile telemetry would allow hospitals to accommodate patient needs in any bed.

InfoBionic’s MoMe™ ARC Platform* is being designed to be the first platform on the market to deliver that level of acuity, agility, and adaptability in virtual cardiac care. “We envisioned an entirely portable and adaptable system for cardiac monitoring,” says Long. “The monitors themselves are not tethered to a single area of a facility, allowing uninterrupted use even when a patient moves between departments.

The next generation MoMe* is being designed specifically for hospital telemetry to provide step-down level of telemetry for any bed or location that would need an easy to deploy mobile telemetry monitor. Further, it builds on our core expertise to enable a seamless hospital-to-home patient transition where continuous monitoring from real-time to near real-time is essential for meeting the demands of virtual care monitoring.

For more information about InfoBionic, visit their website at https://infobionic.com/.

*This product has not been approved by the FDA for sale in the US. 

About InfoBionic

InfoBionic’s digital technology has transformed the efficiency and economics of cardiac remote patient monitoring. The company’s MoMe™ ARC platform vision is to remove the roadblocks hindering remote diagnosis and decision-making. The Massachusetts-based team of seasoned entrepreneurs have had successful careers in healthcare, IT, medical devices, and mobile technology and bring specific expertise in remote monitoring and cardiology. Visit https://InfoBionic.com/ 

References:

1. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Trends in Use of Telehealth Among Health Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, June 26–November 6, 2020. February 2021.
2. Acumen Research and Consulting. Cardiac Arrhythmia Monitoring Devices Market Analysis – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends and Forecast 2022 – 2030. June 2022.