Acceptance of Telemedicine Compared to In-Person Consultation From the Providers' and Users’ Perspectives: Multicenter, Cross-Sectional Study in Dermatology

Abstract

Background Teledermatology is currently finding its place in modern health care worldwide as a rapidly evolving field. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the acceptance of teledermatology compared to in-person consultation from the perspective of patients and professionals. Methods This multicenter, cross-sectional pilot study was performed at secondary and tertiary referral centers of dermatology in Switzerland from August 2019 to January 2020. A customized questionnaire addressing demographics and educational data, experience with telemedicine, and presumed willingness to replace in-patient consultations with teledermatology was completed by dermatological patients, dermatologists, and health care workers in dermatology. Results Among a total of 664 participants, the ones with previous telemedicine experience (171/664, 25.8%) indicated a high level of overall experience with it (patients: 73/106, 68.9%, dermatologists: 6/8, 75.0%, and health care workers: 27/34, 79.4%). Patients, dermatologists, and health care workers were most likely willing to replace in-person consultations with teledermatology for minor health issues (353/512, 68.9%; 37/45, 82.2%; and 89/107, 83.2%, respectively). We observed a higher preference for telemedicine among individuals who have already used telemedicine (patients: P<.001, dermatologists: P=.03, and health care workers, P=.005), as well as among patients with higher educational levels (P=.003). Conclusions This study indicates that the preference for teledermatology has a high potential to increase over time since previous experience with telemedicine and a higher level of education were associated with a higher willingness to replace in-patient consultations with telemedicine. We assume that minor skin problems are the most promising issue in teledermatology. Our findings emphasize the need for dermatologists to be actively involved in the transition to teledermatology. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04495036; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04495036

Exploring Acceptability, Barriers, and Facilitators for Digital Health in Dermatology: Qualitative Focus Groups with Dermatologists, Nurses, and Patients (Preprint)

“…Although our research identified a more negative stance of dermatologists towards DHIs in comparison to patients and nurses, quantitative research yielded mixed results [23,39]. It is important to consider that the acceptability of DHIs is influenced by the context in which they are used.…”

“…It is important to consider that the acceptability of DHIs is influenced by the context in which they are used. For instance, willingness to use teledermatology is lower for severe and acute conditions compared to minor problems [39]. Independent of the context, dermatologists' acceptability is crucial for actual usage, as patients and nurses also pointed out, and can mitigate barriers, including low patient demand, problems with the technology and lack of financial resources [33,40].…”