Abstract
We conducted a cost benefit analysis of ten e-health applications in different European countries. All ten cases showed a positive economic impact – a sustainable net benefit. For the ten cases together, it would take four years for the present value of annual benefits to exceed the present value annual costs. The range was from 2 years (for teleradiology) to 7 years (for an electronic patient record system and search meta-engine, and for a Web-based, national electronic health record system). The wide range reflects the differences in scope and complexity between sites. The average time needed for total benefits to exceed total costs was five years. This means that e-health spending must be dealt with as an investment in health-care resources along with other investments in staff and assets, on a medium to long-term planning horizon.
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