Financial and economic aspects of telemedical care in patients with chronic diseases

Telemedicine combines the needs of patients and technological progress, crossing the barriers of traditional health systems. In Poland, telemedicine has not yet been widely available and is not financed by public funds, but there is a growing awareness of its importance and the need to align the level of our telemedicine services with leading European countries. The need for a rapid and dynamic development of telemedicine argue the ethical and economic reasons. Telemedicine makes it possible to reduce health care costs and equalize opportunities for all patients. As shown by demographic trends, both in our country and in Europe there is the phenomenon of rapidly progressive aging of the population. Telemedicine certainly may be helpful in solving the problem. Tele-home care is an integrated home care monitoring of patients with chronic diseases and elderly people with mobility problems with the use of tele-computing tools. Although the economic benefit from the use of telemedicine services seems obvious, the evidence-based medicine (EBM) shows no clear financial advantage of telemedicine health care system over the traditional system in patients with chronic diseases. Hence the need for careful economic analysis, taking into account expected changes in cost and benefits associated with the development of telemedicine, its expansion and reorganization, and getting a better familiarity with the system's members themselves.