Cost and Potential Savings of Electronic Consultation and Its Relationship with Reduction in Atmospheric Pollution

Background: Telemedicine has been incorporated into daily clinical practice. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the economic impact electronic consultation as a means referring patients between Primary Care (PC) services and referral Cardiology Service (CS) tertiary hospital, in particular, cost reduced air pollution. Methods: direct indirect costs associated with all interconsultations PC CS hospital were analyzed under universal single act model versus prior e-consultation that selected who would later attend single-act consultation. pollution from private motor vehicle travel by road Cobb–Douglas function. Results: total per patient, including death, represented saving 25.6%. value for reduction contamination be EUR 12.86 patient. Conclusions: introduction outpatient management referred CS, helps reduce patient Health System. trips explains greater extent, except first face-to-face