Cost Analysis of Telemedicine Implementation in the Lens of Healthcare Sustainability: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Telemedicine represents one of the main innovations that are involving healthcare. However, its employment has not already become widespread, due to an open discussion about the sustainability of the organizational model behind its adoption. Although telemedicine cost evaluation should be considered as a critical stage in feasibility studies, the literature addressed to this theme is still scarce and mostly related to specific case reports. Accordingly, the goal of this work is to provide a literature review on the field of cost analysis of telemedicine in order to (1) carry out a worldwide descriptive screening of the actual state of the art and (2) understand which generic cost items have to be considered in case of implementation of telemedicine healthcare service. Focused on “costs,” this study analyzes the main databases related to managerial issues (Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO—Business Source Complete) by using twofold approach in the literature review: bibliometric/statistical and content description. Suitable both for practitioners and researchers, this work provides a checklist of cost items, useful to identify which hypothetical financial resources are necessary in order to activate, deliver, and/or modify a healthcare service provided by telemedicine.