Spinal cord injury/disorder teleconsultation outcome study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Telemedicine
• Spinal Cord Injury Care

Background:

• Specialty wound care is crucial for veterans with spinal cord injury/disorder (SCI/D).
• Teleconsultation offers a potential alternative to traditional in-person care delivery.
• Comparing the cost-effectiveness of these two models is essential for resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the costs of specialty wound care for SCI/D veterans via teleconsultation versus traditional care.
• To analyze differences in healthcare utilization between teleconsultation and traditional care groups.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, descriptive, correlational study design.
• Convenience sample of 76 SCI/D veterans.
• Nonparametric statistical methods (Wilcoxon rank sums, chi-square) for variable comparison.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in inpatient admissions or bed days between groups.
• Teleconsultation group showed more outpatient encounters (median 12 vs. 4) and longer inpatient stays (median 81 vs. 19 days/admission).
• Teleconsultation group had significantly higher median cost per outpatient encounter ($440 vs. $141).

Conclusions:

• While inpatient costs were similar, teleconsultation increased outpatient costs for SCI/D wound care.
• Further research into teleconsultation for broader SCI/D specialty care is warranted.
• Telemedicine may increase outpatient utilization and costs in specialized veteran care.