Nationwide adoption of telehealth technologies across a range of health care settings could save $4.28 billion annually in health care costs, according to a study by the Center for Information Technology Leadership
(CITL), and reported by Health Data Management.
The report found that telehealth reduces geographical barriers to care, improves quality and significantly cuts patient costs for visits and transportation.
Researchers found that the most effective telehealth model would include real-time video and the ability to store patient data and images for future use.
According to the report, a telehealth system can result in savings of $4.28 billion annually if it is adopted nationally over five years in:
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Emergency departments;
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Correctional facilities;
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Nursing homes; and
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Physician offices.
The authors noted that actual savings from telehealth could be greater because their estimate does not include potential savings from using the technology for inpatients, home monitoring, interpretive services or medical education.
The study noted that the biggest barrier to telehealth adoption is that provider organizations bear the costs, while insurers accrue the savings.
For a free copy of the report link to
CITL
website.
