Health technology assessment of telemedicine applications in Northern borders of India

Background Economic evaluations of health technology help to decide which interventions are to be continued and which are to be terminated. In the Armed Forces, the provision of efficient medical services requires meticulous planning for optimal utilization of scarce resources. We report a cost analysis of telemedicine and air transportation of casualties, and attempt to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of telemedicine services. Methods The costs incurred in telemedicine were compared with the cost of air evacuation. A qualitative assessment of telemedicine was undertaken through in-depth interviews with the hospital authorities and focused group discussions with medical officers and paramedical staff. Results 34.2% of casualties could successfully be stabilized on-site using available healthcare resources with the peripheral hospitals. 18 casualties were managed at the periphery on-site by teleconsultations each year, averting air-transportation efforts. Estimated cost savings achieved in the initial management of casualty by teleconsultation was Rs. 146,111 per case. The strengths of telemedicine are knowledge updation, faster decision making, improved pre-hospital care and improved confidence in case management. Conclusion The reduction in air efforts and remote management of casualties make a substantive case for scaling up telemedicine interventions.