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Telehealth Facts

Here are several telehealth facts:

  • Mortality rate dropped from 13.6% to 11.8% after tele-ICU was implemented, and length of stay in the ICU fell from 13.3 days of 9.8.
    Journal of American Medical Association 2011
  • The national average for readmission to hospitals within 30 days following a heart failure episode is 20%.
    Sandra Tokey, 2009
  • The U.S. Veterans Administration reports reductions in utilization of between 20% and 56% when care coordination and home monitoring are employed.
    Department of Veterans Affairs, June 2009
  • A Veterans Health Administration home telehealth program for vets with chronic conditions reduced hospital admissions by 19% and total bed days of care by 25%.
    “Care Coordination/Home Telehealth: The Systematic Implementation of Health Informatics, Home Telehealth, and Disease Management to Support the Care of Veteran Patients with Chronic Conditions.” Telemedicine and e-Health, Dec. 2008
  • Barriers to telehealth use include concerns about costs and return on investment, clinician resistance, lack of broadband connectivity, and interstate practice issues.
    “Telemedicine in California: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities.” California HealthCare Foundation, 2008
  • California prison officials provided roughly 9,000 telehealth consultations in 2004, saving taxpayers more than $4 million in transportation and escort costs.
    “Telemedicine in California: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities.” California HealthCare Foundation, 2008
  • The number of Americans afflicted with diabetes is expected to rise from 18 million to over 30 million by the year 2030.
    UCLA Health Policy REsearch Brief, 2007
  • It is estimated that the cost of treating diabetes-related complications in the U.S. in 2006 was $22.9 billion.
    UCLA Health Policy Research NBrief, 2007
  • In 2007, it was estimated that 7% of California adults have diabetes.
    UCLA Helath Policy Research Brief, 2007
  • Telemonitoring reduced hospitalizations by 75% and ER visits by 83%.
    Pennsylvania Homecare Association
  • In 2007, Sutter estimated that 425 sepis related deaths were prevented and the eICU resulted in $2.6 million in savings
    Sutter Health eICU, Computer World 2007