A cost-minimization analysis of a realtime teledermatology service in northern Norway.

Realtime teledermatology has been a routine service provided by the University Hospital of Tromsø to a primary-care centre in Kirkenes since 1989. The cost of the teledermatology service was compared with the costs of three alternative methods of treatment for the patients. The first was a combination of a visiting service and patient travel to hospital. The second was patient travel to the nearest secondary-care centre. The third was a locally employed dermatologist. At the actual 1998 workload of 375 patients, the total cost of teledermatology was NKr470,780, while the three alternatives cost NKr880,530, NKr1,635,075 and NKr958,660, respectively. Analysis of the unit costs showed that the realtime teledermatology service, including local phototherapy, was less costly than the three alternatives for annual workloads above 195 patients per year. A sensitivity analysis showed that the results were robust to changes in the assumptions about the cost structure.