Using teledermatology to triage and manage dermatology patients within a health care system results in significant cost savings, according to a study published in JAMA Dermatology (2020. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.4066).
“Previous analyses of [teledermatology] systems have demonstrated improved access to care but an inconsistent fiscal impact,” explained the study authors.
A retrospective cost minimization analysis compared the costs of managing newly referred dermatology patients within a teledermatology triage system versus a conventional dermatology care model at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
The analysis included 2098 patients that were referred to the dermatology department at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center between June 1 and December 31, 2017.
Decision tree models were used to characterize possible care paths with teledermatology triage and within a conventional dermatology care model. Costs associated with primary care visits, dermatology visits, and teledermatology visits were applied to the decision-tree models to estimate the mean cost of managing patients following each care path for 6 months.
The mean cost per patient to the health care organization was $559.84 with teledermatology triage and $699.96 for conventional dermatology care. The mean total cost savings with the teledermatology model was $140.12 ($11.01) per patient. For an annual dermatology referral volume of 3150 patients, cost savings totaled $441, 378.
“Implementation of a [teledermatology] triage system within the dermatology department at the [Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center] was associated with cost savings, suggesting that managed health care settings may experience significant cost savings from using [teledermatology] to triage and manage patients,” concluded the study authors.—Lisa Kuhns
