TY  - JOUR
AU  - Isetta, Valentina
AU  - Lopez-Agustina, Carme
AU  - Lopez-Bernal, Esther
AU  - Amat, Maribel
AU  - Vila, Montserrat
AU  - Valls, Carme
AU  - Navajas, Daniel
AU  - Farre, Ramon
PY  - 2013
DA  - 2013/02/18
TI  - Cost-Effectiveness of a New Internet-Based Monitoring Tool for Neonatal Post-Discharge Home Care
JO  - J Med Internet Res
SP  - e38
VL  - 15
IS  - 2
KW  - Telemedicine
KW  - telenursing
KW  - Internet
KW  - neonatology
KW  - cost-effectiveness
AB  - Background: The application of information and communication technologies in nursing care is becoming more widespread, but few applications have been reported in neonatal care. A close monitoring of newborns within the first weeks of life is crucial to evaluating correct feeding, growth, and health status. Conventional hospital-based postdischarge monitoring could be improved in terms of costs and clinical effectiveness by using a telemedicine approach. Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a new Internet-based system for monitoring low-risk newborns after discharge compared to the standard hospital-based follow-up, with specific attention to prevention of emergency department (ED) visits in the first month of life. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of two low-risk newborn patient groups. One group, born between January 1, 2011, and June 30, 2011, received the standard hospital-based follow-up visit within 48 hours after discharge. After implementing an Internet-based monitoring system, another group, born between July 19, 2011, and January 19, 2012, received their follow-up with this system. Results: A total of 18 (15.8%) out of 114 newborns who received the standard hospital-based follow-up had an ED visit in the first month of life compared with 5 (5.6%; P=.026) out of 90 infants who were monitored by the Internet-based system. The cost of the hospital-based follow-up was 182.1€ per patient, compared with 86.1€ for the Internet-based follow-up. Conclusion: Our Internet-based monitoring approach proved to be both more effective and less costly than the conventional hospital-based follow-up, particularly through reducing subsequent ED visits. 
SN  - 1438-8871
UR  - http://www.jmir.org/2013/2/e38/
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.2361
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23419609
DO  - 10.2196/jmir.2361
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/jmir.2361
ER  -