Implementing Telemedicine in Correctional Facilities

In the late 1990s, an independent evaluation of an experiment determined that providing long-distance health care to inmates is feasible through a system called telemedicine. This system uses telecommunications equipment that allows health care providers to see and diagnose inmates in prisons located far from health care providers' offices. The experiment showed that prisons could improve inmate health care by providing remote access to more medical specialists while reducing prisoner transport costs and related security management costs. This report provides a model for estimating the relative costs of telemedicine under varying conditions in a correctional setting. With the information tools provided in this document, the correctional administrator will be able to determine if telemedicine is a cost-effective option.