Healthcare Cost Savings due to backward.

Telemedicine

Abstract:
The following study discusses the current
state of healthcare in Pakistan and highlights
the importance of telemedicine in improving
the healthcare ecosystem in the region.
Using the cost savings from a telemedicine
model of care in northern Queensland,
Australia, the study builds an example of
how telemedicine is the solution to the
healthcare crisis in rural Pakistan.
AugmentCare is the answer to the The value for rural population in Pakistan
telemedicine solution provision in the region was 117,421,300 as of 2016. As the graph
and is a complete healthcare platform that below shows, over the past 56 years this
will transform the manner in which indicator reached a maximum value of
healthcare is delivered in urban and rural 117,421,300 in 2016 and a minimum value
Pakistan. of 34,981,760 in 1960. [1]

1. Pakistan and its healthcare 1.2 Pakistan and the poverty line:
stratosphere: Since a vast majority of the country
comprises the rural quota of the population
1.1 Pakistan: A country with a massive it entails that they have little or no access to
rural populace: the bare necessities required to lead a certain
standard of life. [2]
Pakistan is a largely agricultural land and
70-80% of its population comprises of rural
areas or the countryside. Villages and towns,
even small cities all form part of the rural
masses. At the grass root level the main
vocation is farming and cultivation. This
implies a typical village in Pakistan
critically lacks in metropolitan
conveniences. There won't be an
apt drainage system. Most of the villages
don't have access to safe drinking
water, electricity and Sui gas. There is acute
scarcity of amenities
These stats imply a massive inequality in
like schools, parks, hospitals, transportation
income where one strata of the society has
thus making life quite inconvenient and
1
access to premium quality life conveniences
and the other struggle every day to lead a
hand-to-mouth lifestyle.
1.3 The ‘health poverty trap’ and
Pakistan:
The health poverty trap basically describes a
situation where the poor have little or no
access to better healthcare conditions and
the poor healthcare conditions lead
individuals to poverty. The situation is even
worse for a low income and developing
country like Pakistan where more than 25%
of the population is residing below the
poverty line. [3]
Thus the severity of health-related poverty is
closely reflected in the country’s poor health
indicators. Poverty is thus both a
consequence and a cause of ill health.
2. Telemedicine: The solution to
Pakistan’s health poverty trap:
2.1 What really is telemedicine?
Telemedicine is the use of
telecommunications technology such as
2 everyone
phones and computers to provide clinical
services to patients over long distance
communication. [4]
Through phone calls, emails, mobile apps,
and even video chat, health care
professionals are able to diagnose and treat
patients without the need for long travels or
in-person hospital visits.
Aside from connecting patients and medical
providers, telemedicine also offers a way for
health care professionals to consult with
other physicians or specialists in the
diagnosis or treatment of a patient without
having to leave their own facilities.
2.2 Why is telemedicine the answer to
Pakistan’s rural healthcare deprivation
dilemma?
The previous section discusses how a
substantial portion of Pakistan’s population
resides in rural areas and worse still below
the poverty line. These stats indicate an
inevitable decrease in the percentage of
individuals who actually have access to
basic healthcare facilities in the region. This
is mainly a consequence of the urban bias in
delivering quality healthcare services.
Subsequently, rural residents have to travel
long distances to obtain their medical
treatment or to simply visit a doctor for
consultation. Telemedicine can dramatically
improve the present healthcare accessibility
and delivery system in Pakistan in the
following ways:
 Empower patients to take control of
their healthcare routine
 Reduce costs for patients by cutting
down travel expenses
 Improve healthcare statistics by
making medical care accessible for
3. Case study: Cost savings from a
telemedicine model of care in northern
Queensland, Australia:
3.1 Background:
Patients with cancer who live in rural and
remote areas of Australia and other countries
with large rural populations travel long
distances to major centers to receive
specialist care.[5,6] Some of these patients
require overnight accommodation for
themselves and their escorts. In Australia, all
or part of the travel costs and part of the
accommodation costs are usually borne by
jurisdictional governments. [7]
“Telemedicine has the potential to
provide specialist consultations to
patients in their home towns and
minimize the need for distant travel,
although evidence for the relative costs
and benefits of telemedicine is mixed.
[8]
” over the years due to increase in patient
3.2 Cost Analysis:
The analysis showed that total cost of the
teleoncology project in the first year was
$115 825, while savings were $59 195. In
the second year, there were only running
costs of $45 457 while, as a result of an
increased number of consultations, the
savings were $157 929. In the third year
(2009–2010), four new centers were started,
and the total cost of the establishment and
running of the centers.
Description of Calculation Total
expenses prevented of Cost
Return travel cost of $658760
3
patient and one escort
to Townsville
Overnight $60* 2 * 30 $3600
accommodation in
Townsville† (10% of
total consultations)
Urgent aeromedical $13 100 * 4 $52400
retrieval of four
patients from Mt Isa
Specialist/registrar 17 * $600 * $47634
travel once every 3 4.67
weeks for 56 months
Total savings for the $762394
study period
3.3 Discussion:
The TCC model of cancer care is one
example of the use of telemedicine to
facilitate the provision of specialist cancer
services to rural patients. It reduces travel
for patients and doctors, reduces inter-
hospital transfers and provides access to
ongoing medical education for staff working
in remote areas by improving access to
specialist oncologists. [9]Studies in Kansas in
the United States reported that the
telemedicine cost for cancer care was lower
than the face-to-face clinic cost and that the
cost of telemedicine clinics had declined
numbers. Similarly, a study from
Queensland, Australia, reported savings
from pediatrics telemedicine clinics. [10]
4. AugmentCare: The missing piece of the
puzzle:
4.1 What AugmentCare actually is?
AugmentCare is a digital healthcare
platform that is working to provide
telemedicine and telehealth services across
Pakistan. The platform uses a variety of
electronic communications media, ranging
from video consultations to online-report
sharing to remote patient monitoring, to
provide clinical services to a patient.
4.2 How AugmentCare is revolutionizing
the way healthcare is delivered across
Pakistan:

AugmentCare is a platform that is

consistently working to allow rural patients
to maintain quality health standards by
eliminating distances between doctor and
patient. This revolutionary service is the
future of the country that is looking to
reform its healthcare standards and statistics.
Online video consultations, a vast network
of OPDs and unlimited GP (general
practitioner) access makes AugmentCare a
leader in the healthcare dynamics of
Pakistan.

4
References
1) https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/p
akistan/rural-population
2) http://www.writework.com/essay/pa
kistan-2
3) https://www.adb.org/countries/pakist
an/poverty
4) https://www.infinithealthcare.com/re
source-center/telemedicine-and-its-
impact-to-the-healthcare-industry/
5) Doolittle GC, Spaulding AO.
Providing access to oncology care
for rural patients via telemedicine. J
Oncol Pract 2006; 2: 228-230

6) Queensland Health. Patient Travel

Subsidy Scheme.
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/ptss
(accessed Feb 2013).

7) Mistry H. Systematic review of

studies of the cost-effectiveness of
telemedicine and telecare. Changes
in the economic evidence over
twenty years. J Telemed Telecare
2012; 18: 1-6.

8) Sabesan S, Larkins S, Evans R, et al.

Telemedicine for rural cancer care in
North Queensland: bringing cancer
care home. Aust J Rural Health
2012; 20: 259-264.

9) Doolittle GC, Harmon A, Williams

A, et al. A cost analysis of a tele-
oncology practice. J Telemed
Telecare 1997; 3 Suppl 1: 20-22.