Study touts savings, patient satisfaction of online medical treatment

A new national study has found that less expensive online medical consultations produce high levels of patient satisfaction compared to in-person care (Source: “Online Medical Consults Save Money, Study Says,” InformationWeek, Feb. 5, 2013).

A study published in the journal Health Affairs found that Minneapolis-based HealthPartners, an integrated delivery network and health insurer, was able to reduce billing by an average of $88.03 per case through the use of an online clinic, with 98 percent of patients saying they would recommend the service to other.

“Caution is warranted, given the relatively small sample of cases we looked at, but this finding suggests that a well-designed online venue can provide appropriate care,” the study authors concluded.