Figure 1.
Baseline socio-demographic and clinical data_
| Variable | All patients (N=117) | Telemonitoring (N=55) | Standard care (N=62) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, mean (SD) | 71.4±4.7 | 70.6±4.3 | 72.0±5.0 | 0.123 |
| Sex | ||||
| Male (N) | 71 | 34 | 37 | 0.813 |
| Female (N) | 46 | 21 | 25 | |
| Highest education achieved | ||||
| Primary school (N) | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0.518 |
| Vocational school (N) | 69 | 33 | 36 | |
| High school (N) | 16 | 10 | 6 | |
| Bachelor’s degree (N) | 10 | 3 | 7 | |
| Master’s degree (N) | 4 | 2 | 2 | |
| Region | ||||
| Urban (N) | 54 | 27 | 27 | 0.548 |
| Rural (N) | 63 | 28 | 35 | |
| Marital status | ||||
| Married (N) | 86 | 41 | 45 | 0.527 |
| Divorced (N) | 8 | 2 | 6 | |
| Widowed (N) | 5 | 2 | 3 | |
| Single (N) | 18 | 10 | 8 | |
| Clinical data | ||||
| Duration of type 2 diabetes, years, mean (SD) | 9.5±7.6 | 9.8±6.3 | 9.2±8.6 | 0.672 |
| Duration of hypertension, years, mean (SD) | 14.5±10.6 | 13.7±10.6 | 15.2±10.6 | 0.667 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mmHg, mean (SD) | 136.7±14.1 | 135.8±14.9 | 137.7±13.1 | 0.458 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg, mean (SD) | 76.5±8.2 | 75.6±7.0 | 77.2±9.0 | 0.280 |
| Glycated haemoglobin, %, mean (SD) | 7.2±1.0 | 7.2±1.2 | 7.1±0.8 | 0.411 |
Breakdown of operational costs per patient_
| Cost subcategory | Mean annual time per action (min, 95% CI) | Gross value per hour (EUR) | Mean annual gross costs per patient (EUR, 95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient training | 82 | 10.3 | 14.1 |
| Data review | 201 | 20.9 | 70.0 |
| Teleconsultations | 38 | 20.9 | 13.2 |
| Mean annual total gross costs (EUR, 95% CI) | / | / | 97.3 |
Comparison of out-of-pocket costs across groups_
| Cost subcategory | All patients (N=117), mean (min, max) | Telemonitoring(N=55), mean (min, max) | Standard care (N=62), mean (min, max) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation and parking (EUR) | 27 (0-1,200) | 9 (0-180) | 43 (0-1,200) | 0.149 |
| Food and dietary supplements (EUR) | 151 (0-2,400) | 83 (0-2,400) | 214 (0-2,400) | 0.015 |
| Exercise and fitness (EUR) | 38 (0-1,440) | 20 (0-480) | 56 (0-1,440) | 0.784 |
| Education (EUR) | 1 (0-60) | 0 (0-0) | 1 (0-60) | 0.334 |
| Rehabilitative services (EUR) | 20 (0-840) | 0 (0-0) | 39 (0-840) | 0.050 |
| Out-of-pocket checkups (EUR) | 23 (0-900) | 0 (0-0) | 45 (0-900) | 0.016 |
| Medical devices (EUR) | 56 (0-1,200) | 9 (0-72) | 101 (0-1,200) | <0.001 |
| Customised footwear (EUR) | 6 (0-180) | 2 (0-50) | 10 (0-180) | 0.198 |
| Miscellaneous (EUR) | 23 (0-1,200) | 9 (0-480) | 36 (0-1,200) | 0.972 |
| Mean annual total costs (EUR, 95% CI) | 345 (221-469) | 132 (32-231) | 545 (332-757) | <0.001 |
Breakdown of telemonitoring costs from various perspectives_
| Perspective | Category | Cost subcategory | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare provider | Infrastructure costs | Equipment acquisition | Costs for obtaining necessary devices |
| Healthcare provider | Operational costs | Patient training investment | Initial costs for patient training to ensure proper device usage |
| Patient or society | Patient participation costs | Training time costs | Costs associated with training in device usage |
| Patient or society | Change in out-ofpocket costs | Transportation and parking Food and dietary supplement Exercise and fitness Education | Costs for dietary needs Costs for physical activity Costs for educational materials or programmes Costs for rehabilitation or physiotherapy |
Breakdown of participation costs per patient_
| Cost subcategory | Mean annual time per action (min, 95% | Gross value per hour (EUR) | Mean annual gross costs per patient (EUR, 95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient training | 82 | 11.5 | 15.7 |
| Data review | 1,005 | 11.5 | 192.6 |
| Teleconsultations | 38 | 11.5 | 7.3 |
| Mean annual total gross costs (EUR, 95% CI) | / | / | 215.6 |