Home telehealth can improve clinical outcomes for conditions that are common among patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).\r\nHowever, little is known about the costs and potential savings associated with its use.We developed clinical scenarios that describe\r\ncommon situations in treatment or prevention of pressure ulcers. We calculated the cost implications of using telehealth for\r\neach scenario and under a range of reasonable assumptions. Data were gathered primarily from US Department of Veterans\r\nAffairs (VA) administrative records. For each scenario and treatment method, we multiplied probabilities, frequencies, and costs\r\nto determine the expected cost over the entire treatment period. We generated low-, medium-, and high-cost estimates based\r\non reasonable ranges of costs and probabilities. Telehealth care was less expensive than standard care when low-cost technology\r\nwas used but often more expensive when high-cost, interactive devices were installed in the patient�s home. Increased utilization\r\nof telehealth technology (particularly among rural veterans with SCI) could reduce the incidence of stage III and stage IV ulcers,\r\nthereby improving veterans� health and quality of care without increasing costs. Future prospective studies of our present scenarios\r\nusing patients with various healthcare challenges are recommended.
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