Unclear if ICU telemedicine can save hospitals money

NEW YORK, July 31: Remote monitoring of intensive care patients – a strategy to maximize scarce medical expertise – can cost hospitals anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 per bed in the first year of operation, according to a new study. Whether this investment pays off in the long run by improving ICU patients’ care and saving money, “we don’t know,” said Dr. Gaurav Kumar, a fellow at the University of Iowa and the lead author of the study published in the journal Chest. (agencies)