A cost–consequences analysis of minor injuries telemedicine

A cost-consequences analysis of minor injuries telemedicine was performed alongside a randomized controlled trial in a UK peripheral emergency department. The main outcome measures were safety and clinical effectiveness at seven days after presentation. Costs to the National Health Service (NHS) and patients and their families, for 253 patients, were estimated for seven days following randomization. The mean cost to the NHS for the telemedicine patients was 78.61 pounds and for those assessed routinely was 39.15 pounds. For costs incurred by patients and their families the respective figures were 58.24 pounds and 43.95 pounds. Sensitivity analysis showed the initial results to be robust. Telemedicine was a more expensive option for providing minor injuries care in a general-practitioner-supported peripheral emergency department, while consequences did not vary greatly between the different options.