Teledermatology Program Reduces Patient Wait Time But Doesn't Increase Utilization

by Jane Anderson

 

A pilot telemedicine program dramatically reduced the amount of time it took for primary care physicians to consult with dermatologists on skin ailments but did not increase utilization or cost, according to a new study from Independence Blue Cross and the University of Pennsylvania.

"Dermatology is an ideal specialty for telemedicine due to the visual nature of the clinical assessment," says study co-author Aaron Smith-McLallen, director of health informatics and advanced analytics at Independence Blue Cross. "Using telemedicine, patients can get quality care very quickly and reduce wait times for patients with more acute needs that are not suitable for telemedicine intervention."

The study provides a blueprint for teledermatology programs that plans could potentially implement as soon as 2021, and also could show a path forward for telemedicine in other specialties, says F. Randy Vogenberg, Ph.D., principal, Institute for Integrated Healthcare in Greenville, S.C.

"Carriers are assessing how to best manage new technology-enabled care delivery in a more systematic manner that addresses their need to control financial risk while providing appropriate access to care," Vogenberg tells AIS Health. "A study result like this clearly establishes the value proposition of providing a win-win scenario by leveraging technology to aid broader, easier access to care without increasing total costs associated with such expanded care delivery."

The study, published in the journal Telemedicine and e-Health, examined implementation of teledermatology at five University of Pennsylvania Health System primary care practices in 2016 and 2017.

In the teledermatology arm of the study, dermatologists' average response time was five hours, while in the "usual care" control arm, it took 84 days for primary care physicians to consult with dermatologists.

Teledermatology patients who were recommended for in-person evaluation completed visits to the dermatologist in fewer than four weeks, compared with longer than 14 weeks for controls, according to the study. Meanwhile, there were no significant differences detected in average outpatient costs or total medical costs between the two groups.

The store-and-forward evaluation approach has been used in other specialties, such as radiology and pathology, and Independence is exploring ways to expand its use, Smith-McLallen says.

 

From Health Plan Weekly