Research published in The American Journal of Managed Care has revealed the ability telehealth has in ensuring seniors are not unnecessarily hospitalized . The study , conducted by TripleCare physicians ' group and the TRECS ( Targeting Revolutionary Elder Care Solutions ) Institute , employed telemedicine services to a skilled nursing facility ( SNF ) in New York overnight during the week and throughout the weekend . The authors noted that the treating physicians were exclusively dedicated to caring for patients at the health system's SNFs and were not also working in an emergency department or hospital. Over the course of the year the study found that 29 percent of patients evaluated avoided a hospital visit , in turn saving over $ 1.55 million . 313 patients were cared for over the year via telemedicine , with 259 treated at the SNF and the remaining 63 hospitalized . The study ’s authors claim that if implemented more broadly , Medicare would save $ 500,000 annually in a 120-bed facility . Within the program , the physicians were entirely dedicated to the SNF and did not work in an emergency department or hospital . As well as supporting the SNF ’s nursing team , the program ensured that the facility did not lose money if patients were sent to hospital and that nurses improved their nursing abilities . As higher - risk patients require treatment within more nursing facilities , telehealth services will be needed to ensure that high quality clinical outcomes can be provided at a fraction of the cost of a hospitalization .
Research published in The American Journal of Managed Care has revealed the ability telehealth has in ensuring seniors are not unnecessarily hospitalized . The study , conducted by TripleCare physicians ' group and the TRECS ( Targeting Revolutionary Elder Care Solutions ) Institute , employed telemedicine services to a skilled nursing facility ( SNF ) in New York overnight during the week and throughout the weekend . Over the course of the year the study found that 29 percent of patients evaluated avoided a hospital visit , in turn saving over $ 1.55 million . 313 patients were cared for over the year via telemedicine , with 259 treated at the SNF and the remaining 63 hospitalized . The study ’s authors claim that if implemented more broadly , Medicare would save $ 500,000 annually in a 120-bed facility . Within the program , the physicians were entirely dedicated to the SNF and did not work in an emergency department or hospital . As well as supporting the SNF ’s nursing team , the program ensured that the facility did not lose money if patients were sent to hospital and that nurses improved their nursing abilities . As higher - risk patients require treatment within more nursing facilities , telehealth services will be needed to ensure that high quality clinical outcomes can be provided at a fraction of the cost of a hospitalization .