Economic evaluation of E-health interventions compared with alternative treatments in older persons’ care

Abstract

Population aging has increased the need for long-term care of older persons who suffer from multi-morbidity and chronic conditions. Today, the majority of older people are living alone in their home in which they try to cope with highly risky conditions such as sensory impairment, diminished mobility, and medication management. Recent developments in information technologies could improve the access to care for older people as well as reducing the need for full-time caregivers both in homes and institutions such as nursery homes and hospitals. This study aimed to review the economic evaluation of such technological advancements in the care of older people. Through a systematic approach, electronic databases were searched and of 2732 records retrieved, three papers were included in the final review. Three different models of economic evaluation including cost analysis, cost–benefit analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis were applied in these studies in the context of telemedicine and older persons' care. Since the methodological approaches were quite different and the outcomes reported were not consistent between studies, no meta-analysis was applicable and we qualitatively reviewed the papers. All studies have reported cost savings associated with the use of telemedicine technologies such as video visits and smart homes in the care of older persons.