Cleveland Clinic's program that saves $8K per patient

Cleveland Clinic's program that saves $8K per patient unknown

The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic produced an average savings of $8,705 per patient by providing virtual second opinions, a recent analysis found.

The analysis, conducted by healthcare consulting firm Vital Statistics, was based on a random sample of 300 charts from the clinic's 2023 cases. It used medical coding and industry-standard cost data to quantify savings associated with each case.

The records showed 67% of patients had a recommended change in treatment or diagnosis and recommended hospitalization 62% less often than primary treatment plans. In cases where surgery was recommended, clinic physicians recommended an alternative treatment 85% of the time, according to a March 26 system news release.

The amount saved per patient changed depending on the disease:

• For musculoskeletal conditions, the average savings per patient was $28,220.
  
  
• For cardiovascular conditions, the average savings per patient was $8,036.
  
  
• For cancer-related conditions, the average savings per patient was $4,306.
  
  
• The average savings per patient for high-cost cases, for which the primary treatment plan cost above $10,000, was $100,911.

The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic allows patients across the country to get second opinions through telehealth.