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CountryTelemedicine - time saved on appointments - average per session (minutes)Time saved on travel to hospital services by car - average per travel to one session (minutes)Total potential time saved on average appointments across medical disciplines with a conservative estimate - assuming an average substitution rate of 17% for all types of consultation and the OECD average of 6.8 consultations per year. Adding columns B and C, multiplying by the number of visits and then by the substitution rate. (rounded up) 1 2 PointsTotal potential time saved on average appointments across medical disciplines under the most optimistic scenario - where 75% of all medical appointments can be substituted (given the OECD average of 6.8 visits per year). 1 Telemedicine - Time saved on an average appointment for chronically ill patients (people who have been ill for 3 months) - time saved per session (minutes)Total time gained for chronically ill patients based on conservative estimates - assuming a 7.2 average number of appointments for chronic care and 17% substitution for telemedicine - adding appointment time + commuting time, multiplying by an average number of visits and substitution rate. 1 (rounded up)PointsTotal time gained for chronically ill patients based on the most optimistic scenario - 75% of all appointments getting replaced (with the number of appointments staying the same). Measured in minutes. 1Average wait times for a primary physician appointment (days)PointsAverage wait times for an elective surgery appointment (days)Points Blister packs - time saved for patients and/or staff in some illustrative cases. 1Extra pointsBlister packs - future time savings based on technology being introduced today - some case studiesExtra pointsBirth control - availability of emergency contraception. Three possible answers: yes, behind the counter, and no. Measuring waiting time to see a doctor for a prescription + traveling to a pharmacy (minutes, hours, days) PointsAvailability of over-the-counter non-emergency birth control - time saved via distance to a pharmacy (minutes)PointsTotal points
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United States9.07 minutes saved (from 21.07 to 12 minutes) - https://www.miramedgs.com/insights/63-focus/past-issues/winter-2018/755-is-there-a-real-time-advantage-to-telemedicine.html13 minutes on average (17 in rural areas, 12 in suburban areas, 10 in urban areas). Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/12/12/how-far-americans-live-from-the-closest-hospital-differs-by-community-type/26 minutes10113 minutes18 minutes (length of appointment is higher on average for chronically-ill patients at 30 minutes) 38 minutes10167 minutes260281051 minutes saved for nurses (same as in Germany)5--Yes (for Plan B pills)10Non-emergency contraception is not available over the counter at a federal level. 15 minutes saved in average travel time to a drugstore 1 2 3 045
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Spain10 mins (5 minutes for a specialist telemedicine visit vs 15 minutes for in person specialist visit - no primary care telemedicine) 20 minutes saved in travel to hospitals per session 1 2 35 minutes5153 minutes8 minutes compared to average chronic session 1 2 3 34 minutes10151 minutes95770--cca 2 hours (noted as several) based on a newly developed blister packaging machine5Yes, but behind the counter, so still a 15-20 min journey to the pharmacy. 1 2 5Non-emergency is not available over the counter. 15-20 minutes on average.030
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United Kingdom
2 minutes (average consultation length is one of the lowest in the Europe in the UK already, at 9 minutes, going down to 7). 11 minutes for hospitals 22 minutes1097 minutes15 minutes or more saved (length varies with severity and number of visits, recommended consultation time is 15 mins, the length for the chronically ill is 20 mins + and set to increase in the future)39 minutes10173 minutes1006205 minutes 40 seconds for patients and pharmacists (of preparing packs and consultations)5--Yes (and subsidized for lower-income and vulnerable groups).10Yes, it is already available, so time is saved. 20 minutes (depending on the average distance to pharmacies, which can vary from 2.6 to 7 miles). 1 2 545
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Italy Around 20 minutes (if counting the mandatory time in Italy spent preparing each appointment when in person). 45 minutes75 minutes0332 minutes60 minutes made available (chronic patients are required to have several consultations a day)128 minutes 0567 minutes100291060 minutes of preparation (judging by EU average) 5--Yes, but behind the counter, 15 minutes away. 1 2 5 Contraception is available to all women over 18 without a prescription (but behind the counter). 15 minutes (pharmacies are usually 6.8 km away).525
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GermanyAt most, 30 seconds relative to an average appointment. Germany has one of the lowest appointment times in Europe. 22 minutes 30 seconds (15 for urban areas, 30 for rural). 27 minutes10117 minutes60 minutes/one hour73 minutes0444 minutes410311051 minutes for care staff (same as in the US)5--Yes.10No. 20 mins (pharmacies are approximately 19 km away).045
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Australia2 minutes gained - average teleconsultation tends to be close to the in-person time of 15 mins. 69 minutes on average (see table 2 in the source). 82 minutes0362 minutes13 minutes (consultations are 20 mins or longer for chronic patients).100 minutes0443 minutes410481046 minutes for a pharmacist and pharmacist-technician (by switching from the count and pour to a unit of use packaging method).5--No - requires a prescription - 10 minutes distance to a pharmacy + waiting 3 days for a doctor's appointment. 1 2 0No. 10 mins distance to a pharmacy (in addition to appointment times).025
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JapanNo time gained, consultation times in Japan are very low (6 minutes on average).18 minutes on average20 minutes1592 minutes27 minutes.55 minutes0243 minutesNo comprehensive national data is available because there is no clear distinction between primary and secondary care in Japan. Hence there are no gatekeeping or waiting lists involved. At most, 1 (maximum 2) days' wait. Source: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/259941/9789290226260-eng.pdf 10No comprehensive government indicators. Given the lack of gatekeeping, patients are routinely placed in a hospital for elective and non-emergency procedures. Japan's hospital stays are the longest of any developed country, at 17.2 days.1050 minutes (based on 50 prescriptions per day estimate for Japanese pharmacists).5--No - accessible usually after 1 hour of waiting (at least, a few days at most) and 1 hour of travel to pharmacies. 1 2 0No, not available. 1 hour of traffic for pharmacies. 1 2040
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France 6 minutes (down from 16 to 10 minutes). Around 20 minutes on average for most common hospital needs 30 minutes10133 minutes8 minutes compared to face-to-face assessments.34 minutes10151 minutes65630--20 minutes daily (assuming the conventional 35-hour week for a pharmacist in France).5Yes, but behind the counter - 10 minutes travel to a pharmacy.5No. 10 mins travel to a pharmacy.035
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Switzerland1 minute 40 seconds.17 minutes 40 seconds to a central hospital. 22 minutes1093 minutes5 minutes (from 20 down to 15 per chronic person).27 minutes15119 minutes21028107 minutes 28 seconds saved on average.5--Yes, but behind the counter - 15 minutes to travel to a pharmacy5No. 15 mins (Swiss pharmacies are close to EU average in terms of distance and density, at 21 per 100.000 people).055
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Sweden7 minutes. Approximately 24 minutes on average for Northern Sweden. 36 minutes5158 minutes45 minutes.84 minutes0373 minutes7550 days 510 minutes saved.5--Yes.10No. 10-minute travel to a pharmacy. 030
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Netherlands2.58Around 15 minutes on average20 minutes1590 minutesAround 1 minute for a regular appointment (where a regular appointment is 10 minutes, and an online one is 9 minutes)20 minutes1586.4 minutes4.3 days1045 days5----Yes10No, 2-3 minutes distance to a pharmacy 060
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Austria No time gained, consultation times in Austria are very low (5 minutes on average) Around 16 minutes on average19 minutes1582 minutesAround 10 minutes (home visits are mandatory and they often last a minimum of a quarter of an hour) 32 minutes10140.4 minutesNo comprehensive data, but general estimates put it at around 4 days1091 days 0----Yes, but behind the counter - around 6 minutes (a dispensing doctor within 4 kilometers) 5No, around 6 minutes040
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LuxembourgAs much as 15 minutes (down from 20 minutes for an average consultation)Around 5 minutes on average23 minutes10102 minutesAs much as 20 minutes (upwards of 30 minutes on average) 31 minutes10135 minutesNo comprehensive data, but generally on the same day 10No comprehensive data, but 15 days on average based on Luxembourg's Central Hospital10----Yes10No, no comprehensive data on distance but assumed short (5 minutes, comparable to hospitals)050
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Ireland10 minutes 20 seconds (average consultation time is 13.7 minutes, while average online consultation is 3.5 minutes)Around 25 minutes (assuming the average distance from the nearest hospital of 33 miles)41 minutes0180 minutes11 minutes (no comprehensive data, but one can assume the average consultation is only slightly higher at 14.1 minutes, based on results for chronic patients with diabetes)44.1 minutes5194.4 minutes8 on average590 days 0----Yes, but behind the counter - 5 minutes (3.3kms on average)5No, 5 minutes015
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Norway8.9 minutes (average length of 18.3 minutes, minus 9.4 for an online consultation)Around 16 minutes on average (see also EU NUTS3 data)29 minutes10127 minutesAround 21 minutes (no comprehensive data, but work with some chronic patients can last as long as 30 minutes for an average session)45.3 minutes5200 minuteswithin 5 days101050----Yes10No, no comprehensive data but generally around 15 minutes based on density and distances between pharmacies035
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FinlandApproximately 13 minutes (from an average of 17.9 mins for face-to-face consultations to 4-5 mins for online appointments)Approximately 12 minutes (including less accessible areas) 29 minutes10128 minutesAs much as 40 minutes (assuming the consultation can last 45 minutes for primary care for chronic patients)64 minutes0281 minutes4.5 on average 1057.85----Yes, but behind the counter - around 5 minutes (average distance to a pharmacy is 3.4 kilometers) 5No, around 5-6 minutes (3.87 kilometers)030
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South KoreaNo time gained, consultation times in South Korea are very low (6.2 to 7.4 minutes, similar to 6-7 minutes for online consultations)Approximately 14.9 minutes overall for a general hospital (assuming both rural and urban populations and sum weighting the averages in the study) 17 minutes1576 minutesAt least 2.58 minutes (assuming a 9.58 minute consultation for chronic patients)21.5 minutes1595 minutesWithin a Week5Around 60 days (no comprehensive data for elective surgeries, number represents an average for hospital surgeries) 56.3 minutes5--No - requires a prescription + obligatory visit to an obstetrics clinic or a hospital's emergency department (assuming then the 14.9 minutes distance to a general hospital)0No, 14.9 minutes045
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Canada10.8 minutes (average of 15.8 for face-to-face consultations) 32 minutes (assuming average distance of 15.1 km, minus the average in-clinic waiting time of 68 minutes) 49.5 minutes0218.3 minutesApproximately 14.7 minutes (no comprehensive data, with the closest estimate being Canadian Institute for Health Information numbers that include averages but are not exclusive to chronic patients)57 minutes0252.2 minutes14 days or more 0112.4 days (from a median of 210 days)011 minutes saved (per individual pharmacist in terms of dispensing time)517 minutes5Yes (for LNG-ECP/the equivalent of Plan B pills) at a federal level10No, no comprehensive data but mostly within 5 minutes (60% of Canadians live within 1 km of the closest pharmacy)020
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Belgium11 minutes (21 on an average consultation, 10 minutes online)Around 16 minutes on average (slightly higher than the Netherlands due to less accessibility in some parts of the country)31.2 minutes5138 minutesAt least 20 minutes (depending on the 30 minute nurse home visit or consultation by a doctor)44.1 minutes5194.4 minutesAround one day at most1027.8 days (no comprehensive data, averaging across 6 different speciality fields)10----Yes, but behind the counter - no comprehensive data, but Belgian pharmacies are required by law to be within an approachable distance of each other meaning an estimate of around 10 minutes5No, similar estimate of around 10 minutes035
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DenmarkNo time saved (average consultation is 10-15 minutes, identical to an online version)Around 16 minutes on average 18.5 minutes1582 minutesAt least 7 minutes (no comprehensive data, but studies on some cancer patients suggest a 22 minute length consultation)28.2 minutes15124.2 minutesMostly on same day1028.410----Yes10No, around 7-8 minutes (3.3km) 060
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