A 24/7 telehealth program established by Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine for its employees was 23 percent less expensive than providing in-person visits for the same conditions.
The Penn Medicine OnDemand program costs an average of $380 per visit compared to an average of $493 per in-person visit, according to a June 9 Penn Medicine news release.
The study authors argued that health systems should utilize their own network to offer telehealth care for their employees rather than contracting through a third party.
The researchers compared 5,413 Penn OnDemand visits with 5,413 in-person employee visits. Penn OnDemand launched in July 2017.