Practical aspects of telehealth: financial considerations

Abstract

The second in a series of articles about the practical aspects of telehealth, this paper includes information and a case history on the cost-benefits for patients and practitioners using telehealth. The case history demonstrates that telehealth can save travel time for patients, carers and specialists, and can reduce out-of-pocket expenses. The practical aspects of telehealth article series considers the contextual, clinical, technical and ethical components of online video consultations.

Providing Cardiology Care in Rural Areas Through Visiting Consultant Clinics

“…For mileage costs, we used the 2014 Internal Revenue Service business mileage rate of $0.56/per mile. Using the government mileage rate is consistent with recent research evaluating physician travel costs to rural sites …”

Telehealth: experience of the first 120 consultations delivered from a new Refugee Telehealth clinic

“…The most frequently managed conditions were hepatitis C (59 consultations) and latent tuberculosis (42). Other conditions regularly managed included helminthic infections (10 consultations), human immunodeficiency virus (8), eosinophilia (7) and hepatitis B (6). Interpreters were required for 42 consultations.…”

“…Patient convenience is much improved, and reduced travel with telehealth leads to very considerable cost savings, both in the cost of the travel and the opportunity costs of other activities that are not performed while attending clinic . Until recently, telehealth was mainly used within the public sector, especially in Queensland .…”

“…4 Patient convenience is much improved, and reduced travel with telehealth leads to very considerable cost savings, both in the cost of the travel and the opportunity costs of other activities that are not performed while attending clinic. 5,6 Until recently, telehealth was mainly used within the public sector, especially in Queensland. 7 In 2011, the Australian Government introduced Medicare funding for clinical consultations between specialists and patients through telehealth, 8 either at a general practitioner's (GP) practice, from home or from an aged care facility.…”

Integrating Telemental Healthcare with the Patient-Centered Medical Home Model

“…Patients may be more willing to seek mental healthcare if the care is not associated with the stigma of being seen in a mental health setting. Finally there are often financial implications, as patients can often be seen closer to their homes and places of employment or education, with limited travel costs and fewer of the costs associated with time off work or school (Rabinowitz et al 2010;Loh et al 2013).…”