OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of breast cancer is high and associated with significant economic burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Little is known about patterns of healthcare utilization (HCU) of patients following utilization of telemedical care (TMC). Our aim was to examine HCU of patients with breast cancer one year before and after first utilization of TMC.

METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted among Maccabi Healthcare Services enrollees that were newly diagnosed with breast cancer during January-September 2016 and used TMC (n=96). Control subjects who did not use TMC were randomly selected and matched by age, district, disease duration and eligibility to social benefit due to low income, disability or age (n=187). HCU data as well as demographic characteristics and comorbidity burden were obtained from computerized databases.

RESULTS: Mean±SD age of the study population was 55.9±10.5 years. No significant differences were found between the study and control groups in prevalence of heart disease (P=0.916), diabetes (P=0.551), hypertension (P=0.969), socioeconomic status (P=0.759), and insurance coverage (P=0.834). Before exposure to TMC (baseline), the average total annual HCU costs of the study group was higher than that of the control group ($8268 vs. $7007, P=0.006), however, a more economically significant difference was found in the year following exposure to TMC ($45251 vs. $23572, P<0.001). Most of the difference stems from 1.73 times higher outpatient visits costs (p<0.001), 3.24 times higher medication costs (P<0.001), and 1.65 times higher hospitalization costs (P=0.044) No significant difference in surgeries costs was found between groups following exposure to TMC (P=0.285).

CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to TMC increased annual HCU costs one year following it. This may reflect a timelier, thus effective management of the disease. Further research on long-term HCU and health outcomes of patients with breast cancer following exposure to TMC will enable to examine the cost-effectiveness of this technology.