Cost-Analysis of Patient Health Expenditures for Standard Obstetric Care vs. Telemedicne for Obstetric Care in Rural and Remote Places in Northwestern Ontario

(August 2017 – Present)

Current cost-effectiveness analysis of telemedicine in obstetrics and other specialties of care have been mainly conducted from a healthcare system’s perspective. As these services are simply replacing in-person consultations with a healthcare provider, they have found that there is little or no improvement to the standard care received. This limited view of decision making in healthcare does not consider the personal and financial impact on patients involved, which can be considerable for women living in rural and remote communities with limited access to health care. This study aims to compare patient health expenditures for standard obstetric care using telemedicine in rural and remote places in Northwestern Ontario.