Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Dermatology
Date Submitted: Jan 10, 2022
Date Accepted: May 3, 2023
Date Submitted to PubMed: Aug 26, 2023
Digital Dermatology Assessments: Rapid Expansion of a Teledermatology Webapp Necessitated by Covid-19
ABSTRACT
Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a change in the provision of out-patient care in Dermatology.
Objective:
A novel asynchronous digital consultation platform was co-developed with two NHS Dermatology teams to improve access and enhance choice in out-patient care.
Methods:
Roll-out of the platform was accelerated during the initial COVID-19 lockdown and its wider use across two Scottish Health Boards was prospectively evaluated. Integrated with the hospital booking system and electronic patient record, the platform provides an alternative to face-to-face (F2F) consultations, using information and images submitted by the patient.
Results:
297 new and 108 return patient consultations were assessed, with 80% of images submitted of satisfactory quality. The consultations were on average 3 minutes shorter than equivalent F2F interactions and a total of 5758km of patient travel was avoided. Outcomes included virtual review (16%), F2F review (47%), biopsy (11%), discharge (22%) and other treatment/investigation (4%). High levels of patient satisfaction (82%) were reported.
Conclusions:
Dermatology digital assessments are now included in the choice of consultation type available for patients, helping augment service capacity during pandemic recovery.
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