Tampa, Fla.-based Moffitt Cancer Center found that patients can save between $147.40 to $186.10 by using telemedicine.
Researchers from Moffitt analyzed 25,496 virtual cancer care visits with 11,688 patients living in Florida between April 2020 and June 2021 to see how much time and money was saved by using telehealth services. The result, published in JAMA Network Open, showed the telehealth visits saved patients a total of:
- 3,789,963 travel miles and 75,055 roundtrip drive hours.
- An estimated cost savings per visit ranging between $147.40 to $186.10.
"Telehealth gives us the opportunity to deliver high quality care to patients from a distance, saving them both time and money. We also believe this service has the potential to decrease disparities in care delivery if access to technology is equitable," said Cristina Naso, director of virtual health at Moffitt.
Moffitt said it is looking to expand and improve its telemedicine services, including adding streamlined scheduling, technical support and interpreter services, according to a Jan. 18 release from Moffitt.