A Cost Comparison for Telehealth Utilization in the Kidney Transplant Waitlist Evaluation Process

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Transplant Surgery
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Limited research exists on telehealth in transplantation, with no prior cost analyses for pretransplant evaluations.
• Telehealth utilization is increasing, necessitating cost-effectiveness studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the costs of pretransplant evaluations using telehealth versus traditional in-person visits.
• To assess the impact of telehealth on the time required for transplant evaluations.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study of 302 kidney transplant waitlist candidates from March 2013 to May 2016.
• Patients were evaluated via initial telehealth or in-person visits.
• Clinically related, travel-related costs, and evaluation times were calculated and compared using t-tests.

Main Results:

• Telehealth cohort had significantly lower total costs (US $656.11 vs. US $1108.91) and shorter evaluation times (1.7 vs. 2.4 days).
• Time to initial evaluation was also reduced with telehealth (51.4 vs. 87.9 days).
• The telehealth group was older with more comorbidities, suggesting broader applicability.

Conclusions:

• Telehealth offers significant reductions in cost and time for kidney transplant pretransplant evaluations.
• These findings suggest telehealth can improve access to transplantation by mitigating logistical and financial burdens.
• The study highlights the potential of telemedicine to enhance efficiency and accessibility in transplant care.