An Italian business case for an eHealth platform to provide remote monitoring and coaching services for elderly with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia

The purpose of this study was to define a business case for an eHealth platform to provide remote monitoring and coaching services for elderly with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia in the Italian context. 107 patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia were divided into the intervention and control groups. The data was collected using standardized instruments Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) and EuroQoL-5D-5L, and tailor-made instruments, such as surveys to technology and healthcare providers, and semi-structured interviews to patients and healthcare professionals. The data that was not collected in the study, was obtained from the scientific literature. Benefit/cost ratio was calculated for three years. The study shows that a digital platform to provide remote monitoring and coaching services for elderly with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia can be cost-effective from the first year, and can improve care without monetary loss for the healthcare provider. The key benefits show that the deterioration of the illness is postponed, and that the satisfaction of the patients and the healthcare professionals increases. Therefore, such an eHealth platform can be a worthy investment in Italy, and could be considered for wider nation-wide adoption.