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Teledermatology: Effects on Patient Referral and No-Show

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Teledermatology

Part of the book series: Updates in Clinical Dermatology ((UCD))

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Abstract

Referral and no-show rates reflect accessibility and efficiency of a healthcare system. Given the shortage of dermatologists in the US and internationally, optimizing patient referrals and decreasing no-shows are important for resource allocation. Teledermatology presents a potential solution to many current challenges by reducing wait times, need for transportation, time needed for clinic visits, and providing efficient patient triage. Clinics that employ telehealth services have seen a significant reduction in no-show rates, particularly among minority populations, indicating an additional opportunity for addressing healthcare disparities. Furthermore, teledermatology can also be used to provide continued education to referring physicians, leading to decreases in rates of unnecessary referrals. While there continue to be limitations facing teledermatology systems, research has shown that patients tend to be highly satisfied with telehealth with similar clinical outcomes. Further investigations into optimal means of integrating teledermatology with in-person referral and care are necessary.

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Acknowledgments

The article was supported in part by the Office of Scholarly Engagement, Harvard Medical School.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Catherina X. Pan, Rhea Malik & Vinod E. Nambudiri

  2. Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Catherina X. Pan, Rhea Malik & Vinod E. Nambudiri

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  1. Catherina X. Pan
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  2. Rhea Malik
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Correspondence to Vinod E. Nambudiri .

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  1. Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Joseph C English III

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Pan, C.X., Malik, R., Nambudiri, V.E. (2023). Teledermatology: Effects on Patient Referral and No-Show. In: English III, J.C. (eds) Teledermatology. Updates in Clinical Dermatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27276-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27276-9_5

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