Abstract
Telepathology is gaining acceptance as a mode of providing pathology services to remote sites, but its economic feasibility is unknown. A dynamic robotic telepathology service between the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iron Mountain, MI, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, provides diagnostic services for routine and frozen section surgical pathology cases at Iron Mountain. We conducted a cost minimization analysis of this service by building a model to compare telepathology and on-site pathology in Iron Mountain and a courier method of transporting specimens from Iron Mountain to Milwaukee for diagnosis. Base case analysis showed the courier method to be the most economic; telepathology was less costly than on-site pathology. If the costs of telepathology equipment and telecommunication are lowered to reflect current cost, then telepathology becomes the favored option. Telepathology can be an economic mode of providing pathology services to a remote site.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 470-478 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | American Journal of Clinical Pathology |
| Volume | 112 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| State | Published - 1999 |
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Keywords
- Costs and cost analysis
- Telemedicine
- Telepathology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Cite this
Cost minimization analysis of telepathology. / Agha, Zia; Weinstein, Ronald S; Dunn, Bruce E.
In: American Journal of Clinical Pathology, Vol. 112, No. 4, 1999, p. 470-478.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Cost minimization analysis of telepathology
AU - Agha, Zia
AU - Weinstein, Ronald S
AU - Dunn, Bruce E.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Telepathology is gaining acceptance as a mode of providing pathology services to remote sites, but its economic feasibility is unknown. A dynamic robotic telepathology service between the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iron Mountain, MI, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, provides diagnostic services for routine and frozen section surgical pathology cases at Iron Mountain. We conducted a cost minimization analysis of this service by building a model to compare telepathology and on-site pathology in Iron Mountain and a courier method of transporting specimens from Iron Mountain to Milwaukee for diagnosis. Base case analysis showed the courier method to be the most economic; telepathology was less costly than on-site pathology. If the costs of telepathology equipment and telecommunication are lowered to reflect current cost, then telepathology becomes the favored option. Telepathology can be an economic mode of providing pathology services to a remote site.
AB - Telepathology is gaining acceptance as a mode of providing pathology services to remote sites, but its economic feasibility is unknown. A dynamic robotic telepathology service between the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iron Mountain, MI, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, provides diagnostic services for routine and frozen section surgical pathology cases at Iron Mountain. We conducted a cost minimization analysis of this service by building a model to compare telepathology and on-site pathology in Iron Mountain and a courier method of transporting specimens from Iron Mountain to Milwaukee for diagnosis. Base case analysis showed the courier method to be the most economic; telepathology was less costly than on-site pathology. If the costs of telepathology equipment and telecommunication are lowered to reflect current cost, then telepathology becomes the favored option. Telepathology can be an economic mode of providing pathology services to a remote site.
KW - Costs and cost analysis
KW - Telemedicine
KW - Telepathology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033490544&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0033490544&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
VL - 112
SP - 470
EP - 478
JO - American Journal of Clinical Pathology
JF - American Journal of Clinical Pathology
SN - 0002-9173
IS - 4
ER -