For children in rural emergency departments, telemedicine consultations can help significantly lower costs and reduce the number of patient transfers, according to a study in Medical Decision Making.
Researchers conducted an economic evaluation to analyze the cost, effectiveness and return of investment of telemedicine consultations to children in rural EDs.
Researchers found the average cost for a telemedicine consultation was $3,641 per child per year in 2013, when factoring in implementation costs. However, each telemedicine consultation resulted in a $4,662 cost reduction per child per year. Additionally, telemedicine consultations led to 31 percent fewer patient transfers.
The return on investment for this telemedicine project equaled approximately a $1.96 return for each dollar invested.
"From a healthcare payer perspective, telemedicine consultations to healthcare providers of acutely ill and injured children presenting to rural EDs are cost-saving or cost-effective," researchers concluded.
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