title: A retrospective review of telehealth services for children referred to a paediatric nephrologist.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Telemedicine has emerged as an alternative mode of health care delivery over the last decade. To date, there is very limited published information in the field of telehealth and paediatric nephrology. The aim of this study was to review our experience with paediatric telenephrology in Queensland, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective audit of paediatric nephrology telehealth consultations to determine the nature of the telehealth activity, reasons for referral to telehealth, and to compare costs and potential savings of the telehealth service.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a ten-year period (2004 - 2013), 318 paediatric telenephrology consultations occurred for 168 patients (95 male) with the median age of 8 years (range 3 weeks to 24 years). Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (30 %), followed by nephrotic syndrome (16 %), kidney transplant (12 %), and urinary tract infection (9 %) were the most common diagnoses. The estimated cost savings associated with telehealth were $31,837 in 2013 (average saving of $505 per consultation).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that paediatric telenephrology is a viable and economic method for patient assessment and follow up. The benefits include improved access to paediatric nephrology services for patients and their families, educational opportunity for the regional medical teams, and a substantial cost saving for the health care system.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Child and Adolescent Renal Service, Queensland, Australia. peter.trnka@health.qld.gov.au.|Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. peter.trnka@health.qld.gov.au.|Queensland Child and Adolescent Renal Service, Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, 501 Stanley Street, South Brisbane, Queensland, 4101, Australia. peter.trnka@health.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Trnka
authors.affiliation: Centre for Online Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. megan.white@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Megan M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. wdrenton@gmail.com.
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Renton
authors.affiliation: Queensland Child and Adolescent Renal Service, Queensland, Australia. steven.mctaggart@health.qld.gov.au.|Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. steven.mctaggart@health.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: McTaggart
authors.affiliation: Queensland Child and Adolescent Renal Service, Queensland, Australia. jburke@gil.com.au.|Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. jburke@gil.com.au.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: Centre for Online Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. asmith@uq.edu.au.|Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia. asmith@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Anthony C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007668:Kidney / Q000002:abnormalities*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D009398:Nephrology; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D010372:Pediatrics; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D014564:Urogenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult