How sensors and wearables are adding a whole new meaning to remote patient monitoring

Traditional remote patient monitoring (RPM) is evolving at a rapid rate due to a number of external factors. We are seeing new market pressure coming from giants such as Apple, Google and Amazon looking to manoeuvre into the healthcare industry.Recently, Amazon announced its “Haven” project, a joint healthcare venture with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway to improve access to primary care, simplify insurance and make prescription drugs more affordable. With huge R&D budgets and a wealth of technology at their fingertips, their disruption potential is very high. Changing population demographics are themselves sparking healthcare reforms. As the demographic shifts and results in ageing populations in both emerging and developing nations, the prevalence of chronic diseases will continue to rise and health systems are under pressure to change; prompting new ways to deliver healthcare. RPM is now being explored more seriously as a method of managing rising health costs due to chronic conditions.