Decreasing patient cost and travel time through pediatric rheumatology telemedicine visits

There is a critical shortage of pediatric rheumatologists in the US. Substantial travel to clinics can impose time and monetary burdens on families. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost of in-person pediatric rheumatology visits for families and determine if telemedicine clinics resulted i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatric rheumatology online journal 2016-09, Vol.14 (1), p.54-54, Article 54
Main Authors: Kessler, Elizabeth A, Sherman, Ashley K, Becker, Mara L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ambulatory Care - economics
Child
Control
Cost of Illness
Cost Savings - methods
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Financing, Personal - economics
Health Services Accessibility - economics
Humans
Male
Medical care, Cost of
Pediatrics - methods
Pediatrics - organization & administration
Practice
Rheumatic Diseases - economics
Rheumatic Diseases - therapy
Rheumatologists
Rheumatology - methods
Rheumatology - organization & administration
Telemedicine
Telemedicine - economics
Telemedicine - methods
Telemedicine - organization & administration
Transportation of Patients - economics
United States
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Summary:There is a critical shortage of pediatric rheumatologists in the US. Substantial travel to clinics can impose time and monetary burdens on families. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost of in-person pediatric rheumatology visits for families and determine if telemedicine clinics resulted in time and cost savings. Factors associated with interest in telemedicine were also explored. Surveys were offered to parents and guardians of patients in Pediatric Rheumatology follow-up clinics in Kansas City, Missouri, the primary site of in-person care, and at a telemedicine outreach site 160 miles away, in Joplin, Missouri. Survey questions were asked about non-medical, out-of-pocket costs associated with the appointment and interest in a telemedicine clinic. At the primary Kansas City clinic, the median distance traveled one-way was 40 miles [IQR = 18-80]. In the Joplin sample, the median distance traveled to the telemedicine clinic was 60 miles [IQR = 20-85] compared to 175 miles [IQR = 160-200] for the same cohort of patients when seen in Kansas City (p 
ISSN:1546-0096
1546-0096
DOI:10.1186/s12969-016-0116-2