Telemedicine offers comparable visit satisfaction for patients with alopecia

Virtual telemedicine visits provided similar patient-reported satisfaction compared with in-person visits for hair disorders, according to a survey study presented at AAD VMX 2021.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rapid increase in the use of virtual consultation for nonemergent medical care,” James T. Pathoulas, BA, of the department of dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues wrote.

Forty surveys were completed by patients who had either an initial in-person office visit (72.5%) or telemedicine visit (27.5%) regarding hair loss between March 2020 and April 2020.

Survey results showed of those who had a telemedicine visit, 72.7% believed they had a comprehensive exam compared with 86.2% of those who had in-office visits.

When asked if they would recommend the clinic to a friend, 100% of telemedicine patients and 96.3% of in-office patients agreed.

The average wait time for a telemedicine visit was approximately 2 to 3 weeks, which is 4.7 months less than an in-person visit.

“Telemedicine hair visits can be considered as a method of improving access for those with alopecia during COVID-19 and beyond,” the authors wrote.