Fewer than 10% of dermatology patients who were seen virtually during the COVID pandemic said they would not use teledermatology again—and only 7% said they’d not recommend telehealth to a friend.
The survey-based study was conducted at George Washington University in D.C. Its authors’ findings are running in the February edition of the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.
Senior author Adam Friedman, MD, and colleagues received 168 completed responses from an eblast sent to 894 patients of George Washington’s dermatology department.
The most common reasons participants gave for accepting a telehealth appointment during the COVID crisis were new rash (11.6%), eczema (9.8%) and psoriasis (9.1%), the authors report.
Top reasons for labeling the visit a positive experience included time efficiency (81.1%), not requiring transportation (74.2%) and maintaining social distancing (73.6%).
Aspects the respondents disliked included lack of physical touch (26.8%) and the sense they’d received an inadequate assessment (15.7%).
“Dermatology patients likely perceive telehealth visits as a convenient and safe method for quality care during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the authors conclude. “Overall, telemedicine represents an effective and safe vehicle for delivering care, especially during a global pandemic.”
In coverage of the study by the school’s news operation, Friedman acknowledges that there’s more to making teledermatology a standard way to practice than simply gauging patients’ opinions.
“Accurate diagnosis of hair, skin and nails in all skin types has been highlighted as an area in great need of improvement,” Friedman says. “Telemedicine can easily add an additional layer of complexity, widening the gap and impacting care.”
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.