Table 3.
Summary of Empirical Evidence in Telemental Health Research on Cost
| REFERENCE | YEAR | COUNTRY | DESIGN | SAMPLE SIZE | STUDY POPULATION | TECHNOLOGY | FINDINGS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith et al.91 | 2007 | Australia | Cost-minimization analysis | 1,499 consultations | Pediatric | Telephone | Telepediatrics was cheaper when workload exceeds 774 consultations. Cost was sensitive to patient travel costs, salaries, and equipment costs. |
| Rabinowitz et al.92 | 2010 | United States | Cost-effectiveness analysis | 278 consultations | Nursing home residents | Video | Travel savings accrued from obviated trips to the nursing homes. TMH made care available to nursing homes without access to psychiatric care. |
| Dalta et al.93 | 2010 | United States | RCT | 588 | VHA patients with hypertension | Telephone | Cost-effectiveness of behavioral intervention was $42,457 per life-year saved for normal weight women, versus $87,300 for men, with no apparent lowering of use of service. |
| Butler and Yellowlees95 | 2012 | United States | Retrospective cost analysis | 125 | Nonurgent psychiatric problems | Asynchronous, synchronous | Asynchronous was most cost-effective beyond 249 consultations. |
| Luxton et al.96 | 2014 | United States | Cost savings | 1,000 | Stress, military | Mobile phone app | Cost savings accrue at approximately 1,600 users. |
app, application; RCT, randomized controlled trial; TMH, telemental health; VHA, Veterans Health Administration.