Understanding the impact of teledermatology on no-show rates and health care accessibility: A retrospective chart review

Abstract

Award UL 1TR002541) and financial contributions from Harvard University and its affiliated academic health care centers. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of Harvard Catalyst, Harvard University and its affiliated academic health care centers, or the National Institutes of Health. Conflicts of interest: None declared.IRB status: The institutional review board of the University of Massachusetts designated this study exempt from institutional review as a quality improvement project.

Teledermatology During COVID-19: An Updated Review

“…Also significant, as opposed to their non-Spanish speaking counterparts, Spanish-speaking patients were less likely to have linked their medical record to an email or have created an online account preceding their TD visit [ 32 ]. However, another Massachusetts study (conducted between May 2019 and June 2020) found no significant racial/ethnic differences in TD utilization, and demonstrated that the no-show rate for TD visits was markedly lower than that for clinic visits and that the most precipitous reduction in no-show rates was actually among the Black/African American, LatinX, and non-English speaking patients [ 33 ]. Of course, as part of the data for this study were collected prior to the pandemic, it is possible that disparities in TD access during the COVID-19 months may have been diminished by data from the pre-COVID-19 days.…”

The Impact of Telehealth Implementation on Underserved Populations and No-Show Rates by Medical Specialty During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Telehealth has been associated with significant reductions in no-show rates when used in dermatology, suggesting that telemedicine may address traditional barriers to and disparities in access to care while also improving efficiency. 6,7 Limited data are available evaluating the impact of transitioning care to telehealth amid the COVID-19 pandemic across specialties. Our study compares data from 49 specialties to highlight differences in completed visits (Fig.…”

Teledermatology Before, During, and After Covid-19: A Vital Tool to Improve Access and Equity in Specialty Care

“…Not only is the quality of care sustained through these technological innovations, but patients are also significantly more likely to maintain essential appointments which helps mitigate delayed diagnoses and treatment [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. Telehealth patients also benefit from saving travel costs and time, which incurs financial savings from work absenteeism and transportation fees [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30].…”

“…Beyond broadening overall access to dermatologic care, the recent rise in teledermatology has particularly improved access for rural and minority populations, as observed in a retrospective study comparing telehealth to in-person visits [53]. Additionally, teledermatology has been associated with decreased patient no-show rates when compared to in-person visits, especially in Black or African American, LatinX, and primary non-English speaking patients [31].…”

“…Teledermatology visits also served a greater percentage of Medicaid enrollees compared to clinic visits, however this may reflect the age-dependent differences in comfort levels with telehealth visits [31]. Although early data evaluating the impact of telehealth expansion has highlighted the potential role for this technology to improve health equity and minimize disparities, additional research must be done to fully understand how teledermatology has impacted all patient populations.…”