An empirical analysis of the reduction in medical expenditure by e-health users

• Published in: Journal of telemedicine and telecare Vol. 15; no. 3; p. 109
• Main Authors: Akematsu, Yuji, Tsuji, Masatsugu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-04-2009
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ambulatory Care - economics; Ambulatory Care - methods; Female; Health Expenditures; Health Services Accessibility - economics; Health Services for the Aged - economics; Humans; Japan; Life Style; Male; Surveys and Questionnaires; Telemedicine - economics; Japan
• ISSN: 1758-1109
• DOI: 10.1258/jtt.2009.003001

We examined the medical expenditure of elderly residents who used an e-health system in Nishiaizu town. Since 1994, health-related data, such as blood pressure, ECG and blood oxygen, have been transmitted to a remote medical institution via a telecommunications network. We selected 412 users from the list of registered e-health users in the town. We also selected 450 residents who were not e-health users. We sent them questionnaires and obtained 199 valid responses from e-health users and 209 from non-users. Then we examined the receipts of these 408 people, which were kept in paper form in the town office. Based on a multiple regression analysis, we found that users of the e-health system had lower medical expenditure for lifestyle-related illness than non-users. The medical expenditure of e-health users was lower than that of non-users by 15,302 yen (US $133) per year. This amount was approximately 21% of the average annual medical expenditure of the residents. The results also showed that: long-time users of e-health had lower medical expenditure on lifestyle-related illness; long-time users of e-health had lower medical expenditure than those who used it for a shorter time; e-health had more effect on people with diseases than those without.