Table 5.
Cost Indicators
| EFFECTIVENESS INDICATORS | EXPECTED IMPACT WITH THE THC PROJECT | IMPACT IN THE EXPECTED DIRECTION | TOTAL NO. OF STUDIES | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YES | NO | NS | |||
| DIRECT COSTS | |||||
| Remuneration of professionals: visit time | Reduction | 15, 18, 21, 26, 30–35, 37 | 19, 22, 28, 29 | 17, 24, 25, 36 | 19 |
| Remuneration of professionals: travel/driving time | Reduction | 21, 23, 30, 34 | 26 | 5 | |
| Remuneration of professionals: telephone intervention | Increase | 18, 28, 31, 34 | 21 | 5 | |
| Remuneration and cost of technical support | Increase | 25, 26 | 2 | ||
| Traveling expenses for the professionals | Reduction | 15, 18, 19, 21, 23, 30, 32–34, 36, 37 | 22 | 12 | |
| ER cost | Reduction | 15, 27–29, 32, 33, 37 | 7 | ||
| Hospitalization costs | Reduction | 15, 21, 22, 25, 27, 29, 32–34 | 9 | ||
| Readmission costs | Reduction | 17, 28, 35 | 3 | ||
| Software licenses | Increase | 34, 35 | 2 | ||
| Purchase of equipment | Increase | 15, 18, 19, 22–26, 28–31, 33–35, 37 | 17 | 17 | |
| Installation, support and maintenance of equipment | Increase | 18, 19, 22, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34–37 | 27 | 17, 24 | 14 |
| INDIRECT COSTS | |||||
| Lost productivity for patient and relatives | Reduction | 18, 22 | 2 | ||
| Traveling expenses for the patient | Reduction | 33 | 1 | ||
| Insurance, supplies, administrative costs | No impact expected | 21, 24, 26, 30–32, 37 | 7 | ||
| Miscellaneous costs | No impact expected | 15, 24, 35 | 3 | ||
| Laboratory tests, pharmacy | No impact expected | 24, 29, 37 | 3 | ||
| OTHER DIRECT COSTS | |||||
| Specific to a specialty | No consensus about impact | 19, 22 | 2 | ||
| Remuneration of project coordinator | No impact expected | 25 | 1 | ||
| TOTAL COSTS | Reduction | 15–18, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 34–37 | 14 | ||
| COST PER PATIENT | Reduction | 15, 19–22, 29, 31, 33, 34, 37 | 17 | 11 | |
| COST PER VISIT | Reduction | 23, 24, 26, 32 | 4 | ||
ER, emergency room; NS, not specified.