Telemedicine: cost-effective management of high-risk pregnancy

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of telemedicine services in patients diagnosed with preterm labor (PTL).

Women hospitalized with a diagnosis of PTL during a 3-year study period were identified within a health maintenance organization.

singleton gestation, stabilized after tocolysis and discharged from the hospital, and participation in the HMO's preterm-birth prevention program. After a PTL diagnosis, telemedicine services (home uterine activity monitoring with daily telephonic nursing contact) were authorized by the payer. The decision to prescribe telemedicine services was made by each patient's individual physician. Two groups of patients were identified: those who received telemedicine services (telemedicine group), and those who received standard care without the adjunctive outpatient service (control group).

Descriptive and statistical methods were used to compare maternal demographics, pregnancy outcome, antepartum hospitalization, delivery, nursery, and outpatient services.

One hundred women were identified: 60 in the telemedicine group and 40 in the control group. Gestational age at diagnosis of PTL was similar at 29.4 +/- 3.8 weeks, telemedicine group vs. 28.0 +/- 7.4 weeks, control group (P = 0.252). The telemedicine group had a significantly later mean gestational age at delivery (38.2 +/- 1.4 vs. 35.3 +/- 3.8), higher mean birth weight (3224 +/- 588 vs. 2554 +/- 911), fewer mean total nursery days (2.4 +/- 1.8 vs. 14.9 +/- 26.4), and less frequent admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (6.7 percent vs. 40 percent) than the control group (all P < 0.005). The total mean cost per pregnancy was $7,225 for the telemedicine group and $21,684 for the control group. This represented average savings of $14,459 per pregnancy using telemedicine services.

Following an episode of PTL, use of telemedicine services can be a cost-effective tool to improve pregnancy outcome.