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Preliminary Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Real-Time Telemedicine System

Authors:
Francesca Frexia
Riccardo Triunfo
Francesco Cabras
Cecilia Mascia
Gianluigi Zanetti
Sabrina Montis
Roberto Tumbarello

Keywords: real-time telemedicine; pediatric cardiology; cost benefit analysis

Abstract:
Information and communication technology in the medical field has witnessed great advances at research level but it is still largely unapplied in routine clinical practice. Technology-driven solutions, proved experimentally effective, are not always efficient in the complex health world. Each form of innovation needs to be sustainable, from an economic and organizational points of view, if it is to progress from the prototype phase to become a practical element of the healthcare system. A cost-benefit analysis can help establish if this is the case. Here, we apply a preliminary cost-benefit analysis to the real-time telemedicine platform we developed. It has proven successful from a diagnostic point of view, but how does it perform from an economic perspective? Our analysis compares the overall cost of the platform to the economic savings made from its operational use - where unnecessary patients’ transfers are avoided. We estimate potential savings of about 66% of current costs.

Pages: 257 to 262

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2014

Publication date: March 23, 2014

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4359

ISBN: 978-1-61208-327-8

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Dates: from March 23, 2014 to March 27, 2014