Table 3.
Inputs to the cost model.
| Unit cost estimatesa | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Medium | High | |
| Staff costs (per hour) | |||
| Registered nurse (VA staff) | $33 | $37 | $40 |
| Registered nurse (contractor) | $50 | $55 | $60 |
| Physician (VA staff) | $108 | $120 | $132 |
| Equipment (per year) | |||
| Standard telephoneb | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Digital camera | $67 | $83 | $100 |
| Home videoconferencing | $3,775 | $3,775 | $3,775 |
| Transmission costc | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Home encounters (each) | |||
| VA RN visit | $549 | $610 | $671 |
| Contract nurse visit | $109 | $118 | $127 |
| Interactive telehealth call | $227 | $252 | $277 |
| Facility encounters: outpatient (each) | |||
| Large SCI clinic (hub) visit | $259 | $630 | $816 |
| Small SCI clinic (spoke) visit | $436 | $484 | $532 |
| Hub-spoke conference | $668 | $742 | $816 |
| Telehealth call with patient | $84 | $93 | $102 |
| Contract physician office visit | $44 | $55 | $66 |
| Facility encounters: inpatient | |||
| VA surgery and recovery (total) | $38,875 | $73,049 | $218,067 |
| Community SNF (30 days) | $7,503 | $8,337 | $9,170 |
| Transportation (round-trip) | |||
| Wheelchair-enabled transport | $6 | $138 | $274 |
RN: Registered nurse; SCI: spinal cord injury; SNF: skilled nursing facility; VA: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
aFigures are in 2007 dollars.
bStandard telephones are already available and no meaningful cost from these interventions could be attributed to them.
cVA builds transmission costs into facility encounter costs.