OBJECTIVES

: Latin America Telemedicine Infarction Network (LATIN) is a program directed to patients with myocardial infarction and elevation of the ST segment (STEMI) through a hub and spoke network. Patients are detected at site (Spoke), taken an ECG and the report is sent via telemedicine to a cardiologist to be read, thus determining diagnosis and delivering appropriate management. Patients with ST elevation are referred to a Third-level hospital (HUB ) within an optimal time frame to preform primary percutaneous angyoplasty achieving rapid reperfusion. The aim is to construct a clinical and economical simulator for LATIN for Colombia showing economic savings (productivity loss, savings to the health system) and clinical results (lower mortality rates). This simulator is under third payer perspective.

METHODS

: The simulator was built obtaining general information from National official sites to categorize the population such us Demographic, Economic Data, Retirement age and Mortality from myocardial infarction and International agencies for life expectancy and prevalence of myocardial infarction. As a second step we did a literature search for the incidence rate of STEMI categorized by age and gender. After comparing information of general mortality for the country with the local data from LATIN we obtained Lives Saved and Life years saved. Economical calculations for minimum productivity loss and savings to the health system where included. All calculations can be projected up to 5 years.

RESULTS

: Modelling the country’s population of 49.834.240, LATIN could save 26.687 lives the first year and a total of 467.384 LYS with an estimate savings of 363,8 million USD for minimum productivity. In 5 years, we could project 61.968 life saved and 681.311.032 USD minimum productivity loss.

CONCLUSIONS

: The simulator is a useful tool to show earnings and mortality benefit in Colombia. In tight budget health systems this is an argument to expand the therapy benefits and increase access.