Telehealth not cost effective?
March 25, 2013
TELEHEALTH may not be a cost effective solution to improving
treatment outcomes for patients
with long term conditions,
according to a study published in
the British Medical Journal.
The British study recruited 3,230
people with a long term condition
(heart failure, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, or diabetes),
into the Whole Systems
Demonstrator telehealth trial which
ran in three areas in England
between 2008 and 2009.
The patients were then divided into
two groups, with 845 randomised
to telehealth and 728 to usual care.
The telecare patients received
telehealth equipment and
monitoring services for 12 months,
as well as standard health and
social care services, whilst the
controls received usual health and
social care.
According to the results,
telehealth patients had similar
gains to patients receiving usual
care only, whilst the total costs
associated with the telehealth
intervention were higher.
“Telehealth does not seem to be
a cost effective addition to
standard support and treatment,”
the researchers said.
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