Autoantibody and Clinical Profiles in Patients With Discoid Lupus and Borderline Systemic Lupus
Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: stacles to patient-centered dermatologic care-timely access.We can expect to be reimbursed for this service.Medicare pays for S&F teledermatology in Alaska and Hawaii, and Medicaid provides some type of reimbursement for telehealth services in 39 states, 1 including the state of California, where this study was conducted.Private payers across the country are increasingly willing to do so.Payment is generally the same as in-person care regardless of payer source; however, a half day spent doing S&F teledermatology with today's payment schema is less profitable than a half day spent in clinic doing procedures.Provider payment reforms may alter this differential in the future.Teledermatology has been transitioning from research to implementation for some time now, and as that conversion matures, payers are increasingly willing to reimburse for S&F teledermatology.Teledermatology training and mentoring should be incorporated into our residency and continuing education programs.Primary care providers also need to be educated about how teledermatology can improve access to timely dermatologic expertise.Staff members and/or patients, depending on the structure of the service, need to be trained to take high-quality digital photographs and to send them securely.Changes in health care overall may facilitate the adoption of S&F teledermatology.Programs resulting from the federal stimulus of 2009 are working to encourage the meaningful use of electronic health records and to accomplish secure, interoperable health information exchange in all states.A mature electronic environment in health care may facilitate the broader use of S&F teledermatology.This study shows that concerns about liability are a perceived barrier to using S&F teledermatology.Improvements in the medical liability landscape in general could help and may encourage dermatologists to contribute expertise through S&F teledermatology, which can be done from anywhere that a reliable and secure computer connection exists.
Source: Archives of Dermatology
Institution: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Rheumatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2056425678