Evaluating telemedicine in an accident and emergency setting.
This paper outlines the methodology of an evaluation of telemedicine in an Accident and Emergency (A&E) setting. Telemedicine technology consisting of ISDN 2 based videoconferencing and 'store & forward' software has been installed and is currently being evaluated in two minor injury units (MIUs) and a District General Hospital (DGH) A&E department in Lincolnshire. A cost-benefit analysis will be conducted using a pragmatic prospective case-control study with both a concurrent and retrospective control group. Any differences in resource use (including direct and indirect costs) between the intervention (Telemedicine) and the control (No Telemedicine) groups will be identified from both a patient and NHS perspective. A variety of health and non-health outcome measures will be recorded including staff and patient acceptability of the new technology.
Beach
M
M
Trent Institute for Health Services Research, University of Nottingham, Medical School, B Floor, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
Miller
P
P
Goodall
I
I
D000059:Accidents; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000191:economics; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000191:economics; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D006113:United Kingdom