Economic Evaluation of Robot-Based Telemedicine Consultation Services

Background: Through information and communication technology, telemedicine can deliver medical care without time and place restrictions, increasing health care accessibility in medically underdeveloped regions. Although there is growing interest in using robots in telemedicine, there are few economic evaluation studies of robot-based telemedicine. Introduction: Robots developed for use in telemedicine consultation services may help address the challenges that result from Korean physicians' efforts to support patients in Vietnam. We perform a cost-benefit analysis to assess the economic feasibility of a robot-based telemedicine consultation system compared with traditional face-to-face outpatient services. Methods: A cost-benefit analysis is performed of a robot-based telemedicine consultation system between S Hospital in Korea and H Hospital in Vietnam. The threshold was calculated as the point at which the cost of providing telemedicine consultation equals the cost of providing the same service using traditional methods. Results: The annual cost of a robot-based telemedicine consultation system was estimated as 6,056.40 USD, whereas the annual benefit from replacing traditional outpatient services was estimated as 1,508.51 USD, resulting in a threshold point of 4.01 visits per year. Consequently, if the telemedicine consultation robot system replaces >4.01 physician visits per year, it is more economical than conventional face-to-face services. If the physician needs to stay longer, the threshold will be lower. Conclusions: As our results show, robot-based systems for telemedicine have economic value and can potentially offer a solution to the unmet health care needs among patients living in medically underdeveloped regions by providing proper and timely medical care.