How to develop a sustainable telemedicine service? A Pediatric Telecardiology Service 20 years on - an exploratory study

Table 1 Evolution of telemedicine, considering only out-patient consultations, provided by the PCS, 2007 to 2016

	Most representative Telemedicine Sub-specialties (for NHS)		Teleconsultations (for NHS)			Pediatric Cardiology out-patient consultations			Teleconsultations by Pediatric Cardiology out-patient consultations
	Telecardiology (total of 13,903 patients)	Fetal Telecardiology (total of 319 patients)	Total	First Consultation	Subsequent Consultations	Total	First Consultation	Subsequent Consultations	Total	First Consultation	Subsequent Consultations
2007	1363	0	1363	1288	75	6734	2783	3951	20.2%	46.3%	1.9%
2008	1842	36	1878	1872	6	7662	3680	3982	24.5%	50.9%	0.2%
2009	2137	60	2197	2193	4	8841	4212	4629	24.9%	52.1%	0.1%
2010	2613	89	2702	1938	764	9979	4020	5959	27.1%	48.2%	12.8%
2011	2579	124	2703	1780	923	10,235	3892	6343	26.4%	45.7%	14.6%
2012	3094	78	3172	1947	1225	11,174	4405	6769	28.4%	44.2%	18.1%
2013	3462	0	3462	2006	1456	12,229	4693	7536	28.3%	42.7%	19.3%
2014	3510	0	3510	2055	1455	12,142	4561	7581	28.9%	45.1%	19.2%
2015	3394	214	3608	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
2016	3131	218	3349	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
Total	27,125	819	27,944	15,079	5908	78,996	32,246	46,750	35.4%	46.8%	12.6%

n.a non available or non applicable. Source: PC Service’s register and National database (SONHO, 2015, 2017)

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