Long-term economic effect of telecare on patients with chronic diseases

Background Although it is often observed that telecare (e-Health) contributes to the health of the elderly or patients at home, it is difficult to obtain scientifically rigorous evidence to support this. This study aims to examine the long-term effect of telecare implementation on the number of treatment days and the medical expenditure to users with chronic diseases including heart diseases, hypertension, stroke, and diabetes in a project of Nishi-aizu Town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The data covers from 2002-2010. The town’s telecare system is used to remotely monitor users’ health by transmitting health data, such as blood pressure, blood oxygen level, and ECG, to the town’s Health Center.