With the aim of improving accessibility for the evaluation of dermatological clinical lesions and other dermatological problems, the Quirónsalud Valle del Henares Hospital has launched a new Teledermatology Service that allows the evaluation of a treatment or therapeutic decision in less than 48 working hours, maintaining the quality of care.
As pointed out by the Dr. Ana Rita Rodrigues BarataHead of the Dermatology Service of the Hospital Quirónsalud Valle del Henaresthis Teledermatology service has as its main objectives:
- shorten lead times to be able to receive specialized care in dermatology
- optimize and improve accessibility to medical resources
- decrease the timeouts
- prioritize patients that require preferential care based on their pathology
- improve continuity of care for monitoring processes already started, such as sending analytical tests for further assessment or post-surgical evaluation
Dr. Ana Rita Rodrigues Barata, Head of the Dermatology Service at Hospital Quirónsalud Valle del Henares
The teledermatology involves the use of a computer system, a telecommunication system and dermoscopy or videodermatoscopy equipment, as well as the corresponding expert healthcare personnel who make the initial visit and a dermatology specialist who responds to the consultation.
In the initial consultationwhich is carried out in the hospital and in which the information is collected by trained personnel specialized in dermatology, a medical questionnaire which includes the following information:
- History of illnesses, usual treatment and drug allergies
- Location and distribution of clinical lesions
- Evolution time and associated symptoms
- Aggravating or triggering factors
- Treatments performed
Following are the clinical photos necessary -in panoramic and macro format- of the lesion or lesions that are consulted, with the distance, luminosity and adequate focus, followed by dermoscopic photos -with approximately 10 magnifications-, to allow the realization of the evaluation and diagnosis corresponding, with high reliability. In each teleconsultation, a maximum of 10 photos per patient will be taken.
Once the photographs are taken, the information is stored in a computer system, and the dermatologist answers the query in less than 48 working hours. After completing the teleconsultation, they can be given different stages:
- high with a diagnosis of benignity and/or treatment and corresponding recommendations for the medical problem consulted.
- preferential appointment physically / face-to-face for a more exhaustive evaluation.
- Appointment directly in the operating roomin case of malignant lesions that require surgical removal.
- Direct appointment for digital dermoscopy in those patients who present more than 50 pigmented lesions, and/or some with atypical features and/or a history of skin cancer.
“This health delivery system improves medical response times with greater satisfaction for the patient, maintaining the same quality of carethan that provided with the conventional face-to-face consultation”indicates Head of the Dermatology Service of the .