Authors
Department of Health Economics, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Population aging has increased the need for long‑term care of older persons who suffer from
multi‑morbidity and chronic conditions. Today, the majority of older people are living alone in their
home in which they try to cope with highly risky conditions such as sensory impairment, diminished
mobility, and medication management. Recent developments in information technologies could
improve the access to care for older people as well as reducing the need for full‑time caregivers
both in homes and institutions such as nursery homes and hospitals. This study aimed to review
the economic evaluation of such technological advancements in the care of older people. Through
a systematic approach, electronic databases were searched and of 2732 records retrieved, three
papers were included in the final review. Three different models of economic evaluation including
cost analysis, cost–benefit analysis and cost‑effectiveness analysis were applied in these studies
in the context of telemedicine and older persons’ care. Since the methodological approaches were
quite different and the outcomes reported were not consistent between studies, no meta‑analysis
was applicable and we qualitatively reviewed the papers. All studies have reported cost savings
associated with the use of telemedicine technologies such as video visits and smart homes in the
care of older persons.
Keywords
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