How Does Tele ICU Concept Lower the Cost of Healthcare?
The abrupt emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has, indeed, pushed the whole medical community to its very limit. The healthcare facilities are having trouble with proffering beds to the patients, while the doctors are being overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation. For instance, in India, there is only one doctor available for treating over 1,500 patients.
Similarly, only a single nurse has to treat almost 670 patients, which does not abide by WHO’s norm of 1:300.
However, contrary to common expectations, such dire circumstances are being countered pretty efficiently in 2021 – owing to the resurgence of the Tele-ICU infrastructure. Moreover, due to its capability regarding replenishing the well-being of a patient, the aforesaid market is experiencing an affluent uprising as well.
According to Global Market Insights, the market of Telemedicine will, reportedly, reach the value of USD 130.5 billion within 2025.
However, that’s not all. The aforementioned system can decrease the overall expense of a healthcare system as well. But, how is it going to do so? Let’s learn more about the same in thefollowing section of the article.
How Does Tele ICU Concept Lower the Cost of Healthcare?
A recent study on Tele-ICU in the U.S. has revealed that almost 90% of healthcare centers have already begun incorporating a Telemedicine program in their system. Another research on the same topic has found that the aforesaid program in the U.S. has lowered the expenditure by11% than usual during the analysis period. Here is how it can do so in real-time as well.
- Incorporating a physical ICU in a hospital can be extremely expensive. For instance, implementing an ICU bed in India may cost somewhere between INR 50,000 to INR 100,000. The overall price of the same can hover between INR 550,000 to INR 1990,000. This cost is ultimately passed on to the patients.
A major chunk of the repetitive cost is trained manpower, including ICU physicians and nurses. Not only are they hard to come by esp. in Tier 2 and 3 cities, the salaries are on the higher side which drives up the cost. However, using a Tele-ICU can optimise the manpower cost and utilize it more efficiently. Therefore, the expense regarding the same can be saved.
- In India (more specifically Agra), an ICU bed essentially costs almost INR 60,000/per day. The price may increase even more in an uptown area. Due to such affluent pricing, many people in India avoid going to a hospital. Tele ICU provides similar care at even remote areas at a much lower cost. Thus cost to the patient is much lower without compromising the quality.
- With Tele ICU expert care can be initiated at the very early stage of the disease, thus hastening the recovery. Lesser Length of Stay (LOS) in the hospital means lesser cost and better outcomes.
- Another major cost addition is the travel and stay a family has to incur while shifting a patient to a higher centre, besides the major risks involved in shifting a critical patient. This burden can be saved with Tele ICU as similar care can be provided at the doorstep at a fraction of the cost
- With continuous exposure to the Tele ICU faculty, the spoke unit staff also gets trained on the job and can work more effectively. Thus the cost involved at the spoke end also goes down which benefits the patients all the more.
Conclusion
The revolution of Tele-ICU in India was not an easy way out, to say the least. However, with their steadfast determination and vigor, e-Next ICU has helped the same in integrating with Indian medical society appropriately. By doing so, they have also reduced the mortality of COVID-19 patients by almost 40%. The cost saving has been even more. With the future unfolding, the organization will succeed in their venture to improve the cost ratio even more!
