Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring: A Simple Breakdown

Remote patient monitoring is a relatively new concept and you’ve got questions. So, we created an all-in-one overview that answers all your questions about telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), and how to implement it in your clinic or practice.

Introduction

Telehealth is a complicated industry under the umbrella of the most complicated industry—healthcare. Countless providers, platforms, and features saturate the market for telehealth services. It can be difficult to decide where to start. Buzzwords, high-tech jargon, and non-transparent service propositions bombard physicians and clinicians.

Implementing a remote health program can seem overwhelming and even unnecessary. But we’d like to take the fear and uncertainty out of the conversation. This guide removes the confusion around telehealth terms, services, and applications. It breaks down what you need to understand to successfully implement a telehealth program at any clinic or practice, no matter the size.

From devices, billing codes, and technology to long-term scalability and program management, we’ve covered everything you need to know about Telehealth deployment.

What Is Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring?

Telehealth refers to the collection of patient metrics—blood pressure, heart rate, weight, and blood glucose—from remote locations. Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) devices allow patients to automatically report these readings.

This data is transmitted to clinical teams who assess and monitor it continuously. These programs:

• Enable real-time health monitoring
• Increase clinical control
• Prevent emergencies
• Reduce unnecessary in-clinic visits
• Support adherence to care plans

Telehealth & RPM Potential

RPM is transforming care quality and outcomes. Clinics using Telehealth saw:

• 15–25% increase in appointment volume
• 100% increase in revenue per patient per year

RPM provides physicians with larger volumes of actionable health data, leading to faster, more informed decisions. For example, diabetes patients saw a 15-point blood sugar reduction at 30 days and a 32-point reduction at 12 months.

Real-World Applications

Diabetes Management

• Reduced blood pressure and improved glucose control
• 4G LTE glucometers transmit data in real-time
• No-cost diabetic consumables increase patient engagement and physician awareness

Prenatal Care

• Telehealth supports gestational diabetes (GDM) care
• Improves safety and monitoring for pregnant patients

Hypertension

• RPM improves adherence and reduces unreported high BP
• Alerts trigger immediate clinical interventions

Weight Management

• RPM aids in lifestyle modification and compliance
• Safely tracks changes while maintaining overall health insight

Asthma

• Wearables, e-diaries, and digital inhalers reduce clinic visits
• Allows at-home monitoring and increases patient control

RPM During a Pandemic

COVID-19 highlighted the necessity of Telehealth. Benefits included:

• Reduced exposure risks
• Continuity of care even in isolation
• Easier triage and patient monitoring

Telehealth became a life-saving asset and reshaped care expectations permanently.

Technology Breakdown

Cellular vs Bluetooth Devices

• Cellular devices eliminate troubleshooting and login issues
• Simpler for patients, with higher engagement and compliance

Live Interaction

• Enables communication outside of traditional appointments
• Supports continuous patient-provider feedback

Storage + Forwarding

• Patients can send pictures, videos, and test results for personalized consultations

EMR Integration

• Prevents administrative burden by fitting directly into existing workflows

Patient Tracking

RPM devices (e.g., blood pressure cuffs, glucometers) collect data continuously. Cellular alerts prompt interventions and reduce hospitalizations. Tellihealth’s system uses third-party clinical triage teams to support physicians.

How to Bill for Telehealth & RPM

Reliable Design

accuRPM’s auto-timed care provision simplifies compliance with time-based billing codes.

Anticipating Regulatory Changes

Tellihealth's platform is built to evolve with federal and state billing policy updates.

Proposed Medicare Fee Schedule Changes

As policies change, Tellihealth’s RPM platform is designed to remain fully compliant and adaptable.

Future-Proofing

Choose platforms that support easy billing, coding transparency, and future policy shifts.

Scaling Your Program

Scalability is vital. With Tellihealth, clinics reported:

• 15–25% increase in appointment volume
• 100% more revenue per patient per year

Success stems from:

• High patient engagement
• Seamless EMR integration
• Platforms designed for expansion

Top-performing RPM clinics see 80%+ participation from eligible patients. The right provider simplifies scaling and reduces upfront burden.

Conclusion

Virtual care implementation involves many factors—from device selection to billing compliance. Tellihealth removes complexity with full-service, secure, and turn-key RPM solutions.

Tellihealth and accuRPM empower physicians to visualize and act on patient data without added cognitive load. They reduce effort, boost adherence, and increase care quality.

Telehealth doesn’t need to be complicated—just comprehensive.

Learn more about how you can implement Remote Patient Monitoring with Tellihealth.