What Is Remote Patient Monitoring?
Written by:
Wilson College
• Sep 11, 2026
Nursing is often thought of as a hands-on occupation, and with good reason. Nurses are the face of healthcare, providing bedside care and comfort to patients. Increasingly, digital tools are creating opportunities for nurses to work remotely.
According to a 2025 Peterson Health Technology Institute study, 84% of health plans and 79% of health systems increased their investments in digital health solutions. Among organizations that increased spending, 77% sought to improve patient engagement.
Remote patient monitoring is a digital health tool that can improve patient engagement by allowing nurses to monitor patients outside a clinic, hospital, or medical practice. Digital medical devices, such as wearable sensors, digital scales, smartwatches, blood pressure monitors, glucose monitors, and other connected devices, collect information about a patient’s health and securely transmit it to a healthcare provider.
Skilled nurses have many opportunities to work remotely. The Journal of Advanced Practice Nursing reports that hospitals, insurance companies, staffing and consulting firms, and pharmacology organizations employ remote nurses. Nurses who want to advance their career and pursue a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program can prepare for roles that require remote patient monitoring skills.
How Does Remote Patient Monitoring Work?
Remote patient monitoring provides a steady stream of data that gives nurses and other clinicians greater insight into changes in a patient’s condition. Depending on the patient, this information may include blood pressure, weight, blood glucose levels, and heart rate.
Nurses can perform several different types of remote monitoring, including:
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Alert-driven monitoring: A clinical staff member is alerted when readings fall outside an established range or indicate a possible concern. The staff member then reviews the information to determine follow-up care.
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Scheduled monitoring: Patient data is reviewed at established intervals. Readings can be daily, weekly, or according to a schedule determined by a treatment plan.
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Unscheduled monitoring: Unscheduled monitoring is typically triggered when a patient reports symptoms, contacts the care team with concern, or needs additional evaluation between scheduled reviews.
Benefits of Remote Patient Monitoring
Remote patient monitoring may be particularly useful for patients who have severe illnesses, difficulty adhering to treatment plans, or limited access to healthcare providers, including those living in rural areas. It can also help improve patient outcomes. Research published in 2024 in the journal NPJ Digital Medicine showed that remote patient monitoring interventions produced positive outcomes in patient safety and treatment adherence while improving mobility and functional status during transitions from inpatient care to the home.
Remote patient monitoring also empowers patients to become more engaged in their healthcare journey while remaining at home or continuing their daily activities. For nurses, in addition to keeping track of patients, remote patient monitoring enables them to educate patients, so they can understand their conditions, follow treatment plans, and make informed health choices.
Additional benefits of remote patient monitoring include:
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Faster detection of changes in a patient’s condition before it becomes more serious
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Earlier interventions, ongoing communication, and more informed decision-making
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Time savings for patients by reducing the number of trips to healthcare facilities
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Reduced costs associated with emergency department visits, inpatient services, skilled nursing facilities, long-term care, and chronic disease progression
Remote monitoring may present challenges. Healthcare professionals have reported concerns involving increased workloads, patient anxiety, inaccurate data, unfamiliar technology, financial barriers, and privacy, according to a study in The Permanente Journal. Nurses must be prepared to manage these issues while helping patients use the technology safely.
Key Remote Patient Monitoring Skills for Nurses
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has pointed out that informatics and healthcare technology skills are important for remote monitoring, specifically mentioning the need to use digital health systems, check patient information, communicate digitally, and adhere to legal and regulatory requirements.
Below is a breakdown of essential remote patient monitoring skills for nurses.
Remote Technology Skills
Nurses must have a fundamental knowledge of electronic health, mobile health, telehealth, and remote monitoring systems. Their duties can involve installing the equipment, instructing patients on how to take their readings, sorting out any problems that arise, and recording the details of remote consultations. A lack of technological skills could translate into improper use of equipment and devices, leading to inaccurate information.
Clinical Judgment
While technology is capable of detecting patterns and giving warnings, it can’t replace professional judgment. Nurses need to be aware of the limitations of decision support systems and shouldn’t base their actions entirely on the automated suggestions. They should consider the readings in light of the patient’s symptoms, treatment plan, medical history, and other relevant information.
Accurate Documentation and Data Verification
Keeping clear, reliable records serves to ensure the continuity of care. When documenting remote encounters, patient concerns, interventions carried out, and follow-up actions, nurses must enter the data and verify it. Verified data ensures that other healthcare providers are able to understand what occurred during a remote visit.
Digital Communication
Nurses must use digital tools when communicating with patients about their health, treatment plans, test results, and self-care measures. Since remote communication doesn’t include the visual and verbal cues that are available in person, nurses must give careful explanations, check that the patients understand, and clearly outline the next steps.
Patient Education and Engagement
Patients usually require some help in using their devices and understanding the results. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has noted that patients may not receive sufficient education or support in setting up the devices. Nurses can overcome this challenge by showing patients how to use the devices, answering any questions they may have, and teaching them about digital health tools, while informing them about their rights regarding access to and review of their medical records.
Compliance With Privacy Laws
It’s essential to protect patients’ information to maintain trust and provide responsible remote care. Because remote patient monitoring includes the electronic transfer of personal health information, when nurses are communicating with patients, recording care, and using health technologies they must comply with privacy laws and other legal, regulatory and organizational standards.
Learn Remote Nursing Skills to Advance Your Career
Remote patient monitoring shows how digital technology is expanding the reach of nursing care. It gives nurses new tools for collecting information, identifying health trends, educating patients, and supporting clinical decisions.
LPNs interested in developing these skills and advancing their careers can explore Wilson College Online’s LPN to BSN program. These capabilities can also prepare nurses for emerging career paths, including opportunities to become nurse informatics specialists or research nurses and contribute to studies that improve patient care.
Discover how earning an LPN to BSN degree can help you take the next step in your nursing career.
Recommended Readings
Different Types of Nursing Degrees and Salaries
What Is Nursing Professional Development?
How to Balance Nursing School and Work
Sources:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Domain 8: Informatics and Healthcare Technologies
Bipartisan Policy Center, “Maximizing the Value of Remote Patient Monitoring”
Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services, Remote Patient Monitoring
Indeed, Ultimate Guide to a Career in Telehealth Nursing
Peterson Health Technology Institute, 2025 State of Digital Health Purchasing
The Journal of Advanced Practice Nursing, “11 Remote Nursing Jobs For RNs & What They Pay”
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Using Remote Patient Monitoring
