Background As teledermatology has been widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to examine patients’ experiences and satisfaction with teledermatology. Objective We aimed to assess the teledermatology experiences of new and existing clinic patients in the context of the rapid shift toward teledermatology practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 184 teledermatology patients who were assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic at a major southeastern medical center from May 13 to June 5, 2020. The primary outcome was patient satisfaction levels among new and existing patients. The secondary outcome was patients’ willingness to use teledermatology in the future. Results Of the 288 teledermatology patients who were assessed during the study period, 184 (63.9%) completed the survey. Patients reported high overall satisfaction with teledermatology, with 86.4% (159/184) of participants reporting positive overall satisfaction and experiences with teledermatology. New patients had significantly higher Likert scores for overall satisfaction with teledermatology than those of follow-up patients (new patients: mean 4.70; existing patients: mean 4.43; P =.03). Overall, patients’ satisfaction with teledermatology did not significantly differ based on age ( P =.36), race and ethnicity ( P =.46), education level ( P =.11), residence ( P =.74), or insurance status ( P =.74). There were no significant differences in overall satisfaction between patients with and without prior telehealth experience ( P= .53), between the video and telephone visit types ( P =.17), and among platform types ( P= .22). Prior telehealth experience was associated with higher odds of being willing to use telehealth in the future (odds ratio 2.39, 95% CI 1.31-4.35; P =.004). Conclusions This cross-sectional survey study demonstrates that during the rapid expansion of teledermatology, new clinic patients had significantly higher scores for overall satisfaction with their teledermatology experience compared to those of established clinic patients ( P =.03). Prior telehealth experience was associated with higher odds of being willing to use teledermatology in the future. Overall, teledermatology expansion was met with high levels of patient satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background Increased p16INK4a (p16) expression is directly related to cellular senescence and is a robust biomarker of aging in humans. Prior studies have shown that levels of p16 dramatically increase in breast cancer patients who have received adjuvant chemotherapy. This study investigated whether moderate physical activity during chemotherapy would attenuate the expected rise in p16 expression. Methods Participants were women with Stage I–III breast cancer enrolled in a walking study for the duration of their chemotherapy (NCT02167932, NCT02328313, NCT03761706). Participants were asked to walk at least 30 min or 6200 steps/day following a structured walking program and to wear an activity tracker. p16 mRNA levels were measured in peripheral blood T‐cells before chemotherapy initiation and at approximately 6 months after last chemotherapy treatment (mean 200 days, SD 40 days). Results In total, 141 participants met inclusion criteria and 10% (n = 14) averaged > 6200 steps/day. There was no significant association of daily steps with change in p16 levels pre‐ to post‐chemotherapy (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.11, p = 0.17). After adjusting for age, stage, anthracycline‐based chemotherapy, and baseline p16, the change in log2 p16 for each 1000 steps was estimated to be 0.03 (p = 0.35). Most participants were sedentary prior to chemotherapy and achieved modest levels of physical activity during treatment. Conclusion A self‐guided walking program achieved only modest levels of physical activity and was unable to ameliorate chemotherapy‐induced change in p16 levels in women undergoing chemotherapy for early‐stage breast cancer. More structured and vigorous exercise programs should be tested for a more definitive exploration of their impact on post‐chemotherapy p16 levels.
The aim of this study was to assess the patient experience with teledermatology among new versus existing clinic patients in the context of the rapid practice shift to teledermatology during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed survey responses from 184 teledermatology patients seen during COVID-19 at a major Southeastern medical center from May 13th to June 5th 2020. Overall patient-reported satisfaction with teledermatology was high with the majority of respondents rating their overall satisfaction as excellent (68%) or very good (18%). As teledermatology experiences wider adoption with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to examine patient experience and satisfaction with teledermatology.
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