Total set-up costs for the three sites were HK$268,278.
Total annual maintenance costs were HK$88,200.
Staff cost per patient was HK$57.7 with teleconsultation, HK$322.8 when a patient was transported to specialty clinic, and HK$445.9 when a dermatologist was sent to the two separate facilities where patients lived.
The telemedicine service realised per-patient cost-savings of HK$265.1 in comparison with sending patients to the specialist clinic. However, the cost of set-up and maintenance costs have to be taken into account: to offset maintenance costs, at least 48 patients must be seen through teleconsultation and to offset set-up costs in both sites, more than 145 patients have to be seen.
Since the average number of patients seen at the authors' institutions was 89 per year, about 3.55 years would be necessary to offset costs in both sites.
This time frame (3.55 years) was perhaps overestimated if both the increasing number of patients seen and the depreciation costs of the equipment were considered.