Why most remote therapeutic monitoring solutions fall short — and how smartphone-based gait analysis is the key

In recent years, Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) has emerged as a game-changer in healthcare, allowing providers to get reimbursed for tracking patient progress, adjusting care plans, and staying connected with patients — all from a distance. However, as promising as RTM is, there is still confusion surrounding how to effectively implement and see a return on investment of an RTM program, and many platforms are falling short of their full potential. The reason? They’re built on systems that aren’t designed to fit seamlessly into patients’ daily lives or collect actionable care insights.

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The limitations of most RTM platforms

Most RTM solutions today rely heavily on patient compliance and specific equipment. Platforms that focus on exercise adherence, wearable devices, or require self-recording demand a level of commitment and inconvenience that can be a barrier for many patients. Here’s why:

1. Engagement challenges: Asking patients to stick to prescribed routines can be tough. Life happens — people forget, get busy, or simply lose motivation. Without consistent participation, the data collected is incomplete, leading to missed opportunities for early intervention and reimbursement.
2. Wearable devices: Additional devices depend on patients remembering to wear them correctly and consistently.
3. Camera-based monitoring: Monitoring movement during exercise can be helpful. However, these monitoring systems require setup and lack real-world insight into mobility as they are usually limited to activity-based movements and not functional tasks like everyday walking.

While there are some good solutions out there, most are missing a critical component – objective, real-world mobility data. Without insight into how a patient is moving during their daily activities, providers can’t really see the full picture and may miss important changes in patient status.

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Why smartphone-based gait monitoring is the future of RTM

Imagine a world where you could see how your patient is walking when they’re at the grocery store, or on an uneven sidewalk on their way to the bus stop. What if you could use these insights to make more precise and proactive clinical decisions? To build an RTM program that truly reflects a patient’s health status, we need to go beyond exercise adherence and wearables. This is where smartphone-based gait analysis and remote monitoring becomes a game-changer.

Gait—the way a person walks—is more than just a movement pattern. It’s a critical biomarker for overall health, functional mobility, and fall risk. Monitoring gait through smartphones eliminates the need for wearables or specialized equipment, making it effortless for patients and incredibly powerful for providers.

Here’s why smartphone-based gait monitoring should be the foundation of a comprehensive and successful RTM program:

1. No wearables required, just natural movement: With smartphone technology, patients don’t need to remember to wear a device or set up a camera. The phone’s built-in sensors can capture valuable data passively as patients go about their daily lives, reducing barriers and increasing adherence.
2. Early detection of decline: Changes in gait can be early indicators of various health concerns, from balance issues and fall risk to neurological conditions. Smartphone-based monitoring captures these subtle shifts in real time, allowing clinicians to intervene proactively and adjust care plans before issues escalate.
3. More comprehensive health insights: Gait analysis doesn’t just reveal physical changes — it can also highlight cognitive issues. Slower walking speeds, changes in stride length, or irregular patterns can signal cognitive decline. Smartphone technology offers a seamless, continuous way to gather these insights without interrupting daily routines.

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Effective RTM should be seamless, insightful, and  proactive

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It’s time to redefine remote therapeutic monitoring

Traditional RTM methods—relying on exercise adherence, wearables, and cameras—are falling short of delivering the seamless, comprehensive insights that today’s healthcare demands.

Smartphone-based gait monitoring offers a natural, insightful, and proactive way to track patient health without requiring extra effort from patients. As we redefine what meaningful RTM looks like, it’s clear that leveraging the technology people already use daily isn’t just convenient—it’s revolutionary.

The future of RTM is powered by the smartphones patients already carry, one step at a time. To learn more, check out RTM with OneStep.

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