Tele-orthopedics costs less than hospital visits

In a Norwegian RCT, remote orthopedic video visits cost less than hospital outpatient visits with similar QALY gains.

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What care setting was compared with hospital outpatient visits?

Remote orthopedic video consultations at a regional medical center.

How were remote visits delivered?

Real-time videoconferencing between hospital surgeons and patients at the remote center.

How many randomized patients remained after withdrawals?

389 patients after 13 withdrew or did not attend.

What effectiveness metric was used?

Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained.

Did QALY gains differ significantly between arms?

No; telemedicine .09 vs standard .05, P=.29.

What was the per-patient cost difference?

Telemedicine cost €65 less per patient.

What societal breakeven volume was reported?

151 patient consultations per year.

What health-sector breakeven was reported?

183 patient consultations per year.

How much travel time did telemedicine patients save?

About 7 hours 40 minutes on average.

What costing perspective included production loss?

A societal perspective.

What were average travel costs per patient?

€148.65 for hospital visits vs €40.73 for video visits.