Impact of a teaching hospital-based multidisciplinary telemedicine programme in Southwestern Colombia: a cross-sectional resource analysis

Abstract

Background Telemedicine, a method of healthcare service delivery bridging geographic distances between patients and providers, has gained prominence. This modality is particularly advantageous for outpatient consultations, addressing inherent barriers of travel time and cost.Objective We aim to describe economical outcomes towards the implementation of a multidisciplinary telemedicine service in a high-complexity hospital in Latin America, from the perspective of patients.Design A cross-sectional study was conducted, analysing the institutional data obtained over a period of 9 months, between April 2020 and December 2020.Setting A high-complexity teaching hospital located in Cali, Colombia.Participants Individuals who received care via telemedicine. The population was categorised into three groups based on their place of residence: Cali, Valle del Cauca excluding Cali and Outside of Valle del Cauca.Outcome measures Travel distance, time, fuel and public round-trip cost savings, and potential loss of productivity were estimated from the patient’s perspective.Results A total of 62 258 teleconsultations were analysed. Telemedicine led to a total distance savings of 4 514 903 km, and 132 886 hours. The estimated cost savings were US$680 822 for private transportation and US$1 087 821 for public transportation. Patients in the Outside of Valle del Cauca group experienced an estimated average time savings of 21.2 hours, translating to an average fuel savings of US$149.02 or an average savings of US$156.62 in public transportation costs. Areas with exclusive air access achieved a mean cost savings of US$362.9 per teleconsultation, specifically related to transportation costs.Conclusion Telemedicine emerges as a powerful tool for achieving substantial travel savings for patients, especially in regions confronting geographical and socioeconomic obstacles. These findings underscore the potential of telemedicine to bridge healthcare accessibility gaps in low-income and middle-income countries, calling for further investment and expansion of telemedicine services in such areas.