In fact, this analysis is based on two assumptions. In reality, usage would vary at different institutions. Thus, savings may be overestimated. However, this analysis also assumed the entire cost of the telemedicine unit was for Pathology. In reality, shared use would drop the actual cost of hardware and line usage that is truly attributable to Pathology, so that for the single application, a break even point would be reached much sooner.
Nephrology is more difficult to analyze because of more varied uses.
That would equate to a minimum of two nurses salaries for 4 days and travel expenses. Of the three technical troubleshooting video calls in one month, assuming that perhaps two could have been done without video conferencing, the remaining use would require technician travel. Extrapolating to a one year period, this would be another savings of a minimum of 12 days plus travel expenses. Finally, perhaps the largest savings may be seen in the physician component. The Nephrologist would have had to travel to CVH or RRMC for rounds that were done via the telemedicine system over that month.