Economic impact of telehealth on maternal and child health in regional, rural and remote Australia: a systematic review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Telehealth has the potential to mitigate maternal and child health access challenges, reduce health system dependency and healthcare expenditures, and facilitate the delivery of healthcare to women and children remotely. METHODS: Exhaustive searches of the literature were performed across multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, PDQ-Evidence for Informed Health Policymaking, CINAHL, EconLit, International Health Technology Assessment (HTA), Google Scholar, and the UniSQ RISE Research Repository. These searches targeted peer-reviewed, English-language articles published from inception to February 2024. The quality of the reports was assessed via CHEERS 2022. RESULTS: In this review, 20 studies comparing telehealth to usual care for maternal and child healthcare in remote, rural, and regional (RRR) Australia were included. Of these, 18 found telehealth to be a cost-saving option, while two reported comparable costs and outcomes. These findings were assessed from a range of perspectives, including those of the health system, society, family, providers, and third-party payers. The review findings indicate that telehealth has potential for addressing health disparities among women and children in remote, rural, and regional Australia. Health disparities are reduced by overcoming access barriers, reducing expenses, fostering healthy behaviors, increasing service utilization, shortening hospital stays, and enhancing care coordination. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights that telehealth is a predominantly cost-saving alternative to usual care for maternal and child health services in remote, rural, and regional Australia. It has the potential to reduce health inequality among women and children residing in remote, rural, and regional Australia. A broader evaluation incorporating societal costs and benefits, along with a long-term view of the clinical and economic impacts of telehealth, is essential for its wider implementation. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42024518089.