Patient survey on the use of video consultation in the outpatient treatment of chronic pruritus

Abstract

Analyses of patient evaluations and barriers to the implementation of teledermatology procedures are still rare. The aim of this study was to determine whether administrative processes have an influence on the patient evaluation of telephone and video consultations. With the help of apatient survey, assessments of the processes and organisation surrounding the outpatient appointment were asked. These were then compared to the assessment of whether the telephone or video consultation is an alternative to on-site consultation. In all, 1538 patients took part in the survey. Significant correlations were found between the evaluation of the telephone or video consultation and the distance between the place of residence and the outpatient clinic, whether the patient had already been seen several times or for the first time, as well as the evaluation of the waiting time for the appointment, the organisation before the appointment and the waiting time in the outpatient clinic. The study shows that even after the Coronavirus pandemic, telephone and video consultations remain an important tool for patients to contact their physician. However, patients' perceptions of the processes around the outpatient appointment have an influence on their willingness to participate in adigital consultation.