Telemedicine positively impacts the travel costs of 85% of patients. The adoption of telemedicine-based models of care and
treatment has benefits from a social and sustainability perspective, especially when considering travel time and costs. Even without
going into more complex analyses, it is immediate to assess the impact that a remote visit can have, particularly for patients with
chronic diseases who often reside in out-of-town areas and are treated by specialized centers, often even outside the region. It
should also be considered that if the patient is not autonomous, travel becomes even more burdensome, as there is a need for the
accompaniment of a family member or caregiver. An analysis of 471 telehealth delivered by five centers showed that only 15
percent of patients reside in the same municipality. Thanks to telemedicine, the remaining 85% of patients saved - between round
trips - an average travel (calculated using Google Maps services) in the order of 180 kilometers, for a time of more than two hours.
That is, at least half a day committed to a 30-minute visit. Assuming, by an optimistic estimate, that all cars are Euro-6 compliant,
the environmental impact can also be estimated, with an overall reduction of about 7 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.