Vitals at a distance: What patients and providers should know about remote medical monitoring

Not long ago, safe and effective healthcare was thought to require an in-person visit. The pandemic shifted that belief, showing us just how much care could be delivered remotely. Today, more than half of primary care visits happen virtually, and telehealth is quickly becoming a cornerstone of modern healthcare.

The benefits are clear. Telehealth removes geographic barriers, giving patients access to specialists who might otherwise be out of reach. It eliminates long commutes and waiting room delays, and reduces exposure to illness. Athletes in particular tend to value the level of privacy and convenience offered by telehealth, as in-person visits can be tough to schedule in the midst of busy training and travel schedules. 

But is it safe to provide medical monitoring through telehealth?

Remote Monitoring: How It Works

For conditions like REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) and eating disorders, regular monitoring of weight, vitals, and labs is critical. Here’s how these needs can be met virtually:  

Weight Monitoring: 

This can be done at home with a standard digital or analog scale, with patients or caregivers trained on best practices for calibration and accuracy. Because weight monitoring can be a sensitive task for those with eating disorders, we often recommend smart scales such as Blind Weight and My Clear Step. These devices conceal the number from the patient while securely transmitting the data directly to the provider. In cases where home monitoring of weights isn’t feasible or in the patient’s best interest, we often coordinate for weights to be taken at a nearby clinic.

Vitals: 

Inadequate nutrition can negatively impact vital signs. We follow resting heart rate, blood pressure, as well as the change in these values with position changes (i.e. going from lying to standing). Most patients and families can learn how to take accurate resting heart rates and blood pressures, and orthostatic heart rates and blood pressure readings from home, much like  a medical assistant would do in a clinic. This can be done by using a simple electronic blood pressure cuff, by taking a pulse manually, and/or with the help of a smart watch that tracks heart rate. Depending on their medical status and diagnosis, some patients may have vitals checked by a medical assistant or nurse at a local clinic. Readings are then shared electronically with our physicians. 

Labs:

Similarly to our in-person colleagues, our physicians are able to order any medically-indicated labs in most cities throughout the country. Typically, patients can use their insurance benefits to cover most of the costs of labs.

Limits of virtual care:

Most of what we do in caring for patients with REDs and eating disorders is well-suited to virtual care, like checking labs, vitals, and weights, ordering medications and imaging studies, and prescribing appropriate amounts of physical activity. However, there are certain circumstances in which we may need to refer to an in-person clinic or emergency facility for an assessment. 

Examples include:

• When we are concerned about medical instability and a patient is possibly needing inpatient admission and frequent/close monitoring to stabilize.

• When there are concerns about the accuracy of the data being collected by a patient.

• When special, in-person testing is needed, such as a DXA scan (bone mineral density scan), imaging study, or an EKG.

We are also obviously limited in our ability to perform a physical exam through a screen. Having said that, reflecting back on years spent practicing in person, it is rare that the physical exam by itself changes clinical management. 

In Summary:

Remote monitoring is more than a workaround—it’s a glimpse into the future of healthcare. By personalized support directly into patients’ homes, telehealth is breaking down barriers that once limited access to care. For athletes and others managing REDs or eating disorders, it means care can move with them, fitting into busy lives without compromising safety or quality.  For providers, it expands the reach of evidence-based care.

At AthleatMD, our founders bring extensive experience in remote care delivery and an understanding of what can—and cannot—be done safely and effectively through telehealth. And as technology continues to evolve, so will our ability to meet patients where they are—proving that excellent care doesn’t have to be confined to an exam room.