Is Cardiac Consultation with Remote-Controlled Real-Time Echocardiography a Wise Use of Resources?

Northern Sweden is a sparsely populated area with six hospitals and about 50 healthcare centers. The elderly population is a large proportion of the total of population, and the incidence of cardiovascular disease is high. The objective of this research was to analyze the costs and benefits of cardiac consultation in healthcare centers involving long-distance, remote-controlled, real-time echocardiography. The distance diagnostics were developed and tested in two healthcare centers. Experiences of the feasibility of this approach were used as a basis for an economic analysis with regard to heart failure. The societal costs for two different systems were calculated, namely, traditional hospital diagnosis versus distance diagnosis using the new system. The potential prime gainers were the patients. Their traveling time, and thereby their time costs, were significantly reduced. The quality of care may also have been improved. From the health authorities' perspective, the costs of the two systems were approximately equal. Since county council costs are not greatly affected, the large reduction in patient travel time and the improved quality of care ought to be a sufficient incentive for large-scale tests.