Title

Understanding the Impact of Teledermatology on No-Show Rates and Healthcare Accessibility: A Retrospective Chart Review

UMMS Affiliation

Department of Dermatology; School of Medicine

Publication Date

2020-09-11

Document Type

Article

Disciplines

Dermatology | Health Services Administration | Health Services Research | Telemedicine

Abstract

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency legislation expanding coverage of telehealth service 38 swept across the nation to allow for continued access to medical care despite strict shelter-in-place guidelines. In the wake of this, telehealth usage has increased dramatically. Dermatology, in particular, is uniquely amenable to virtual visits and teledermatology has the potential to become a permanent platform from which we provide specialty care.

As telehealth expands, additional data is needed on the impact of telehealth on health equity. Missed appointments, or no-shows, are a measure of health disparity, with low-income, Medicaid, and minority patients traditionally having the highest no-show rates. Given the ability of teledermatology to theoretically improve patient convenience and eliminate potential barriers to care, we sought to investigate the impact of telehealth on no-show rates and patient access at a large academic medical center.

Keywords

Teledermatology, Health Equity, Social Justice, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Access, Cost, Remote Care

DOI of Published Version

10.1016/j.jaad.2020.09.019

Source

Franciosi EB, Tan AJ, Kassamali B, O'Connor DM, Rashighi M, LaChance A. Understanding the Impact of Teledermatology on No-Show Rates and Healthcare Accessibility: A Retrospective Chart Review. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020 Sep 11:S0190-9622(20)32604-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.09.019. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32926984; PMCID: PMC7484689. Link to article on publisher's site

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

Related Resources

Link to Article in PubMed

PubMed ID

32926984

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS