Teledermatology as a Means to Provide Multispecialty Care: A Case of Global Specialty Collaboration

Madu, N B A Pamela; Chang, Aileen Y.; Kayembe, Mukendi; Kovarik, Carrie L.

doi:10.1111/pde.13079

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Another trend we observed was the involvement of multiple specialists in the clinical cases [9]. The reasons for this include a change in the way cases were allocated, with more close case management and follow-up.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seven years of telemedicine in Médecins Sans Frontières demonstrate that offering direct specialist expertise in the frontline brings clinical and educational value

Delaigue

Bonnardot

Steichen

et al. 2018

Journal of Global Health

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BackgroundMédecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a medical humanitarian organization, began using store-and-forward telemedicine in 2010. The aim of the present study was to describe the experience of developing a telemedicine service in low-resource settings.MethodsWe studied the MSF telemedicine service during the period from 1st July 2010 until 30th June 2017. There were three consecutive phases in the development of the service, which we compared. We also examined the results of a quality assurance program which began in 2013.ResultsDuring the study period, a total of 5646 telemedicine cases were submitted. The workload increased steadily, and the median referral rate rose from 2 to 18 cases per week. The number of hospitals submitting cases and the number of cases per hospital also increased, as did the case complexity. Despite the increased workload, the allocation time reduced from 0.9 to 0.2 hours, and the median time to answer a case decreased from 20 to 5 hours. The quality assurance scores were stable. User feedback was generally positive and more than 90% of referrers who provided a progress report about their case stated that it had been sent to an appropriate specialist, that the response was sufficiently quick and that the teleconsultation provided an educational benefit. Referrers noted a positive impact of the system on patient outcome in 39% of cases.ConclusionsThe quality of the telemedicine service was maintained despite rising caseloads. The study showed that offering direct specialist expertise in low-resource settings improved the management of patients and provided additional educational value to the field physicians, thus bringing further benefits to other patients.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seven years of telemedicine in Médecins Sans Frontières demonstrate that offering direct specialist expertise in the frontline brings clinical and educational value

Delaigue

Bonnardot

Steichen

et al. 2018

Journal of Global Health

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“…Each was independently and collectively reviewed. Of these resources, 24 provided clear evidence to indicate the issue(s) they addressed was of national significance [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recommendations for Developing a Telemedicine Strategy for Botswana: A Meta-Synthesis

Ncube,

Mars,

Scott

2023

IJERPH

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Botswana is developing its eHealth capacity using a National eHealth Strategy. However, that strategy overlooks telemedicine, a potential solution for many healthcare challenges. For telemedicine to benefit Botswana, a telemedicine-specific strategy is required. While establishing a national strategy is a sovereign responsibility, guidance and recommendations can be provided. Using published resources specific to Botswana, key health-related issues were identified. These issues were matched with suitable telemedicine activities and delivery approaches. Recommendations were then derived from these for use in an effective telemedicine-specific strategy for Botswana. From 28 health-related issues, 6 were prioritised. Three telemedicine activities were identified (clinical services, education, and behaviour change), and one delivery approach was chosen (store-and-forward) because they align well with current needs, infrastructure, and mobile phone user capabilities. Since telemedicine has been proven to be effective, efficient, and cost-effective when implemented correctly, this knowledge and experience, plus a recognised strategy development framework, has led to evidence-based recommendations. Specific telemedicine options were identified as examples. As confidence grows, telemedicine options can be expanded to address additional clinical needs and explore alternative activities and delivery options. The recommendations can help the government develop a telemedicine-specific strategy that aligns with the National eHealth Strategy while actively promoting and supporting the adoption and system integration of straightforward telemedicine interventions. This foundation will facilitate the future expansion of telemedicine initiatives for the benefit of all Batswana.

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“…However, due to a workforce shortage, there is a lack of access to dermatology providers. 11 Given the potential for improved access to care, 9,28,29 high patient satisfaction, 18,19 and cost savings, 11,30 the use of teledermatology is expected to increase. 11,13,17,31 In this study, we demonstrated that an innovative online model for healthcare delivery can foster increased access to high-quality specialty care for psoriasis patients.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Access to Dermatological Care with an Innovative Online Model for Psoriasis Management: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Ford

Gibbons

Torres

et al. 2019

Telemedicine and e-Health

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Background: Many patients with chronic skin diseases lack regular access to dermatologists in the United States and suffer poor clinical outcomes. Introduction: We performed a 12-month randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of an online, collaborative connected health (CCH) model for psoriasis management on access to specialty care. Materials and Methods: The 300 enrolled patients were randomized to online or in-person care. We compared distance traveled as well as transportation and in-office waiting time between the two groups and obtained patient and provider perspectives on CCH. Results: At baseline, no differences existed between the groups in difficulties obtaining specialty care. Over 12 months, the mean (standard deviation [SD]) distance traveled to and from appointments was 174.8 (±577.4) km/person for the in-person group and 2.2 (±14.2) km/person for the online group (p = 0.0003). The mean (SD) time spent on transportation and in-office waiting for in-person appointments was 4.0 (±4.5) h/person for the in-person group and 0.1 (±0.4) h/person for the online group (p = 0.

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Teledermatology as a Means to Provide Multispecialty Care: A Case of Global Specialty Collaboration

Cited by 9 publications

References 12 publications

Seven years of telemedicine in Médecins Sans Frontières demonstrate that offering direct specialist expertise in the frontline brings clinical and educational value

Seven years of telemedicine in Médecins Sans Frontières demonstrate that offering direct specialist expertise in the frontline brings clinical and educational value

Recommendations for Developing a Telemedicine Strategy for Botswana: A Meta-Synthesis

Access to Dermatological Care with an Innovative Online Model for Psoriasis Management: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

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