Chronic illnesses put a drain on the patients they impact as well as the health care systems that serve them, trapping patients in a cycle of repeat visits and treatments. But medical providers can now make that vital care much less of a burden.

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) reduces the number of visits to emergency rooms by chronically ill patients by providing daily monitoring through a mobile app at the patient’s home, or wherever they are. This eases the staffing pressure on hospitals and helps avoid re-admissions, while growing revenue in a new segment. Patients get better service for their conditions, and caregivers are able to track health patterns and identify treatable problems before they become emergencies.

Here’s how RPM works.