Year: 2019
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: While teledermatology is proven to decrease access times to dermatologists, be clinically equivalent to in-person consults diagnostically, and have high satisfaction rates, less is known about its use in urban settings where geographical challenges to accessing dermatologists are not present. This mixed-methods evaluation of an urban, intra-institutional teledermatology initiative was guided by the Canada Health Infoway Benefits Evaluation Framework and involved a case series review of 76 teledermatology consultations, patient and provider surveys, and semi-structured interviews with health care providers. The study found that 84.2% of all consultations and 95% of inflammatory conditions (rashes) were manageable with teledermatology alone, with benefits to patients including savings in time, money, and preventing missed work. Providers were also highly satisfied with the reliability, timely responses, and quality of consults, but their administrative time increased. Further research on cost-effectiveness and the specific clinical use cases that could be optimized by institutional teledermatology is warranted.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Trevor Champagne
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3143644080