Patient satisfaction with the Veteran’s Administration teledermatology service

Abstract

Teledermatology is comparable to face-to-face visits in providing accurate diagnoses and effective treatments. However, there are limited data regarding patient satisfaction with teledermatology models that more directly convey provider recommendations to patients. To assess patient satisfaction with the teledermatology service at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (AVAMC). A cross-sectional, phone-based questionnaire study of 175 AVAMC teledermatology patients was performed to investigate patient satisfaction. In phase 1 (n=100), we compared the teleconsultative and telemedicine models. In phase 2 (n=75), we compared patients who received 1 of 3 possible consult outcomes: reassurance, appointment for biopsy, or appointment for face-to-face evaluation. There were no statistically significant differences in satisfaction between patients who were seen with the telemedicine and teleconsultative models. Patients who received appointments for face-to-face evaluation or biopsy were more satisfied than patients who received reassurance only. Both phases were remarkable for high patient satisfaction among all cohorts. This study was performed at a single Veterans Affairs medical center and is vulnerable to both nonresponse bias and recall bias. Overall, patients are satisfied with teledermatology services at the AVAMC. Strong partnership with referring primary care providers and clear delineation of responsibilities is vital to the teledermatology process.