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A Cost-Minimization Analysis of Teleconsultation Versus In-Person Care for Chronic Diseases and Rehabilitation in Medically Underserved Areas of South Korea
Sujeong Baek, Jeong-Ah Choi, Jin‐Won Noh, Hyoung-Sun Jeong. Healthcare, 2025-02-20
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Using data from South Korea’s 2018 teleconsultation pilot program involving 1232 patients, the analysis revealed that teleconsultation reduced societal costs per consultation by USD 7.92 for chronic diseases, USD 27.30 for dementia care, and USD 9.61 for rehabilitation. These savings were primarily attributed to reductions in productivity losses and transportation expenses. Furthermore, the analysis identified a shift in financial burden from patients and caregivers to government and public expenditures. The findings highlight teleconsultation’s effectiveness in reducing healthcare costs while consistently benefiting diverse patient groups, underscoring the necessity of integrating telemedicine into mainstream healthcare systems to improve access and alleviate financial strain on patients and their families.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Baek, S., Choi, J.-A., Noh, J., & Jeong, H.-S. (2025). A Cost-Minimization Analysis of Teleconsultation Versus In-Person Care for Chronic Diseases and Rehabilitation in Medically Underserved Areas of South Korea. Healthcare. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13050445
Vancouver
Baek S, Choi J.-A, Noh J, Jeong H.-S. A Cost-Minimization Analysis of Teleconsultation Versus In-Person Care for Chronic Diseases and Rehabilitation in Medically Underserved Areas of South Korea. Healthcare. 2025. doi:10.3390/healthcare13050445. PMID: 40077008.
BibTeX
@article{baek2025-40077008,
author = {Baek, Sujeong and Choi, Jeong-Ah and Noh, Jin‐Won and Jeong, Hyoung-Sun},
title = {{A Cost-Minimization Analysis of Teleconsultation Versus In-Person Care for Chronic Diseases and Rehabilitation in Medically Underserved Areas of South Korea}},
journal = {Healthcare},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3390/healthcare13050445},
pmid = {40077008},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13050445}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Using data from South Korea’s 2018 teleconsultation pilot program involving 1232 patients, the analysis revealed that teleconsultation reduced societal costs per consultation by USD 7.92 for chronic diseases, USD 27.30 for dementia care, and USD 9.61 for rehabilitation.
- These savings were primarily attributed to reductions in productivity losses and transportation expenses.
- Furthermore, the analysis identified a shift in financial burden from patients and caregivers to government and public expenditures.
- The findings highlight teleconsultation’s effectiveness in reducing healthcare costs while consistently benefiting diverse patient groups, underscoring the necessity of integrating telemedicine into mainstream healthcare systems to improve access and alleviate financial strain on patients and their families.
Why it matters
Using data from a South Korean teleconsultation pilot, teleconsultation reduced societal costs per consultation for dementia care by USD 27.30, mainly through lower productivity losses and transportation expenses. This is about cost and access to care, not about treating or preventing the disease itself.
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Study details
- Participants1,232
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 41 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 43 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Healthcare) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Healthcare: journal h-index 120 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,232 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 6 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 6 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Hyoung-Sun Jeong holds only 8 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Yonsei University: institution h-index 777 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40077008) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 41 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 41 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 43 out of 100. |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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