Assessing Patient Satisfaction with Live-Interactive Teledermatology Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Study

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 has brought teledermatology to the forefront. Understanding patients' experiences will clarify its benefits and limitations. Materials/Methods: Patients evaluated through live-interactive teledermatology at New York University Langone Health March-June 2020 were surveyed. Patient demographics, satisfaction with, and preferences between teledermatology and in-person visits across four domains (visit preparation, provider communication, physical examination, and treatment plan/follow-up) were collected. Results/Discussion: Of 602 respondents, >70% indicated at least equal satisfaction compared with in-person visits across all domains. More than a quarter of patients were dissatisfied with the virtual examination and more than half preferred in-person examinations. Male gender was associated with treatment plan/follow-up satisfaction (p = 0.03). Patients 66 years preferred in-person visit preparation, communication, and treatment plan/follow-up (all p < 0.01). New patients were less satisfied with teledermatology communication (p = 0.02) and treatment plan/follow-up (p < 0.01) but preferred teledermatology visit preparation (p = 0.01). Conclusions: Patients were satisfied with live-interactive teledermatology during the COVID-19 pandemic, although preferred in-person physical examinations. Satisfaction and preferences varied between patient populations.

Teledermatology versus Face-to-Face Dermatology: An Analysis of Cost-Effectiveness from Eight Studies from Europe and the United States

“…It reduces waiting times and costs, improves access in rural areas and/or for patients who experience difficulties in attending in-person appointments and decreases appointment cancellations and absenteeism. Moreover, TD proves to be a useful diagnostic and follow-up tool, favoring early referral in emergency cases [ 11 , 13 , 14 ]. There are, however, other aspects that adversely affect TD.…”

“…There are, however, other aspects that adversely affect TD. These include technological barriers (poor internet connection, limited access to platforms, poor image quality) or lack of technological skills among professionals and patients, which could hinder attention to geriatric patients or those with a different language, ultimately resulting in the making of possibly erroneous diagnoses [ 14 , 15 ].…”

Digital skin imaging applications, part II: a comprehensive survey of post‐acquisition image utilization features and technology standards

“…2 Dermatology-related smartphone applications ("apps") grew by over 80% from 2014-2017 and COVID 19-related policy changes have catalyzed the widespread practice of teledermatology (TD) services. [3][4][5][6][7] TD is now cited as one of the most common uses of telemedicine and is an active area of clinical investigation. [8][9][10][11] Skin imaging and image utilization are central to the functionality of many dermatology applications.…”

“…The percentage of U.S. adults who own a smartphone more than doubled from 35% in 2011 to 85% in 2021, with nearly three‐quarters also reporting having desktop or laptop computers and access to in‐home broadband service 2 . Dermatology‐related smartphone applications (“apps”) grew by over 80% from 2014–2017 and COVID 19‐related policy changes have catalyzed the widespread practice of teledermatology (TD) services 3–7 . TD is now cited as one of the most common uses of telemedicine and is an active area of clinical investigation 8–11 …”

Patients’ Experiences and Communication with Teledermatology versus Face-to-Face Dermatology

“…Although many economic assessments have been made [ 20 ], and many studies have been conducted on health results [ 18 , 19 , 21 , 22 ], many of them concluded that patients and dermatologists preferred face-to-face examinations. Additionally, no studies were found that delved into the experiences of individuals with the care received through TD.…”