Economics of using telehospice to supplement hospice care in rural areas.

Abstract

11535 Background: Hospice care in rural areas is often characterized by provider shortages and vast geographical service areas to cover, making access to quality end-of-life care challenging. Telehospice, the utilization of interactive video (ITV) technology to provide health services over a distance for hospice patients, has been proposed as a solution to address access issues. In 2017, the University of Kansas Medical Center (Kansas City, Kansas) partnered with Hospice Services, Inc. (HSI) (Phillipsburg, Kansas) to augment traditional, in-person hospice care with hospice care delivered via mobile tablets.This work examines the costs of Telehospice when compared with the costs of in-person hospice services. Methods: Detailed administrative data from July 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 was analyzed to estimate the costs of service after Telehospice use was inculcated into routine practice. Results: Hospice Services, Inc., which averages a daily census of 34 patients, conducted 257 calls, averaging 28 hours a month. The average time for a Telehospice call was 21 and 18 minutes for nursing and medical director calls, respectively. Through various hospice functions, including administrative, patient, and non-patient related connections, HSI saved over $115,000 in staff travel time and mileage reimbursement. Administratively, by hosting their weekly 14-member interdisciplinary meeting via ITV, HSI saved $29,869 of staff travel time and mileage reimbursement. Conclusions: Our estimates indicate substantial cost saving potential with the use of Telehospice services. Further research is needed to assess the effects of Telehospice utilization on the experiences and subsequent cost of hospice care. Additional cost data specifics will be presented in poster form. [Table: see text]