Budget impact analysis of providing hospital inpatient care at home virtually, starting with two specific surgical patient groups

Objective To determine the budget impact of virtual care.Methods We conducted a budget impact analysis of virtual care from the perspective of a large teaching hospital in the Netherlands. Virtual care included remote monitoring of vital signs and three daily remote contacts. Net budget impact over...

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Main Authors: Wim H Van Harten, Carine J M Doggen, Guido M Peters
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2022-08-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/8/e051833.full
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author Wim H Van Harten
Carine J M Doggen
Guido M Peters
author_facet Wim H Van Harten
Carine J M Doggen
Guido M Peters
author_sort Wim H Van Harten
collection DOAJ
description Objective To determine the budget impact of virtual care.Methods We conducted a budget impact analysis of virtual care from the perspective of a large teaching hospital in the Netherlands. Virtual care included remote monitoring of vital signs and three daily remote contacts. Net budget impact over 5 years and net costs per patient per day (costs/patient/day) were calculated for different scenarios: implementation in one ward, in two different wards, in the entire hospital, and in multiple hospitals. Sensitivity analyses included best-case and worst-case scenarios, and reducing the frequency of daily remote contacts.Results Net budget impact over 5 years was €2 090 000 for implementation in one ward, €410 000 for two wards and €−6 206 000 for the entire hospital. Costs/patient/day in the first year were €303 for implementation in one ward, €94 for two wards and €11 for the entire hospital, decreasing in subsequent years to a mean of €259 (SD=€72), €17 (SD=€10) and €−55 (SD=€44), respectively. Projecting implementation in every Dutch hospital resulted in a net budget impact over 5 years of €−445 698 500. For this scenario, costs/patient/day decreased to €−37 in the first year, and to €54 in subsequent years in the base case.Conclusions With present cost levels, virtual care only saves money if it is deployed at sufficient scale or if it can be designed such that the active involvement of health professionals is minimised. Taking a greenfield approach, involving larger numbers of hospitals, further decreases costs compared with implementing virtual care in one hospital alone.
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spelling doaj.art-2725f70ce87349628fcca26244a0f9902022-12-22T02:14:50ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-08-0112810.1136/bmjopen-2021-051833Budget impact analysis of providing hospital inpatient care at home virtually, starting with two specific surgical patient groupsWim H Van Harten0Carine J M Doggen1Guido M Peters23 Health Technology & Services Research, Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, The NetherlandsDepartment of Health Technology & Services Research, Techmed Centre, University of Twente, Enschede, The NetherlandsRijnstate Research Center, Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem, The NetherlandsObjective To determine the budget impact of virtual care.Methods We conducted a budget impact analysis of virtual care from the perspective of a large teaching hospital in the Netherlands. Virtual care included remote monitoring of vital signs and three daily remote contacts. Net budget impact over 5 years and net costs per patient per day (costs/patient/day) were calculated for different scenarios: implementation in one ward, in two different wards, in the entire hospital, and in multiple hospitals. Sensitivity analyses included best-case and worst-case scenarios, and reducing the frequency of daily remote contacts.Results Net budget impact over 5 years was €2 090 000 for implementation in one ward, €410 000 for two wards and €−6 206 000 for the entire hospital. Costs/patient/day in the first year were €303 for implementation in one ward, €94 for two wards and €11 for the entire hospital, decreasing in subsequent years to a mean of €259 (SD=€72), €17 (SD=€10) and €−55 (SD=€44), respectively. Projecting implementation in every Dutch hospital resulted in a net budget impact over 5 years of €−445 698 500. For this scenario, costs/patient/day decreased to €−37 in the first year, and to €54 in subsequent years in the base case.Conclusions With present cost levels, virtual care only saves money if it is deployed at sufficient scale or if it can be designed such that the active involvement of health professionals is minimised. Taking a greenfield approach, involving larger numbers of hospitals, further decreases costs compared with implementing virtual care in one hospital alone.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/8/e051833.full
spellingShingle Wim H Van Harten
Carine J M Doggen
Guido M Peters
Budget impact analysis of providing hospital inpatient care at home virtually, starting with two specific surgical patient groups
BMJ Open
title Budget impact analysis of providing hospital inpatient care at home virtually, starting with two specific surgical patient groups
title_full Budget impact analysis of providing hospital inpatient care at home virtually, starting with two specific surgical patient groups
title_fullStr Budget impact analysis of providing hospital inpatient care at home virtually, starting with two specific surgical patient groups
title_full_unstemmed Budget impact analysis of providing hospital inpatient care at home virtually, starting with two specific surgical patient groups
title_short Budget impact analysis of providing hospital inpatient care at home virtually, starting with two specific surgical patient groups
title_sort budget impact analysis of providing hospital inpatient care at home virtually starting with two specific surgical patient groups
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/8/e051833.full
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