Evaluating the Experiences of New and Existing Teledermatology Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Survey Study

Abstract

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.

Factors influencing use and perceptions of teledermatology: A mixed-methods study of 942 participants

“…In the quantitative results, the teledermatology experience was graded to be poorer than in-person visits, which was dissonant to our qualitative interviews that reported mainly good experiences and was contrary to other studies reporting high satisfaction. 7 , 8 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 There are a few possible reasons for this discrepancy. First, our survey respondents graded their experience relative to an in-person visit.…”

“…First, our survey respondents graded their experience relative to an in-person visit. 8 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 Satisfaction scores of teledermatology without a conjoint analysis (ie, comparison with standard care) can lead to over-estimations of high satisfaction and can be misinterpreted as equivalent to in-person visits. Critically, studies conducted during pandemic lockdowns where teledermatology was the only option may have been anchored to a “no consultion” comparator, overestimating the attractiveness of telemedicine.…”

Editorial: The Emerging Role of Artificial Intelligence in Dermatology

“…During the pandemic, there has also been an increased uptake of teledermatology worldwide to ensure patients and healthcare providers have access to dermatologists (44)(45)(46). Teledermatology enables patients from remote/rural areas and/or underserved populations to obtain access, while reducing wait times for dermatology referrals (47)(48)(49).…”

Analysis of Social Determinants and the Utilization of Pediatric Tele–Urgent Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Study

“…Social determinants of health can be defined as the circumstances that impact the health of individuals from birth to death including socioeconomic, educational, and access to health care [ 9 ]. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, health disparities and inequity demonstrated differences in adoption of tele–urgent care among vulnerable populations [ 10 , 11 ]. Vulnerable populations are defined as populations that are at risk for health access because of economic, ethnic, or health characteristics [ 12 ].…”