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Store-and-forward teledermatology may improve patient access by decreasing wait times

Store-and-forward teledermatology at a Veterans Affairs medical dermatology clinic appeared to improve patient access by significantly decreasing the percentage of no-show patients and the average wait times for new patients, according to recently published study results.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Fla., in which they compared data from Jan. 1 through May 31, 2012, during which time store-and-forward teledermatology (SFT) was not heavily used, with data from Jan. 1 through May 31, 2013, when SFT had been fully implemented. Percentage of no-shows, average new and established patient wait times, capacity and percentage of new patients being seen within 30 days were searched in the clinical database.

There were 1,557 new patient clinic visits and 28 SFT encounters in 2012 and 1,508 new patient visits and 608 SFT encounters in 2013. The percentage of no-shows and new patient wait times decreased significantly between the two time periods (7.91% to 6.16%; 32.9 days to 9.75 days, respectively). However, established patient wait times or clinic capacity slots did not show significant decreases (4.14 days to 1.49 days; 1,612.6 to 1,722.8, respectively), according to the researchers.

The quantity of SFT consultations significantly correlated with percentage of new patients seen at the medical dermatology clinic within 30 days, new patient wait times and no-show percentages. However, established patients wait times did not have a significant correlation with the amount of SFT consultations, according to the researchers. – by Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: Bezalel reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.