A study conducted by the APISAL group, part of the IBSAL, shows that remote dermatological consultations significantly reduce waiting times and improve the quality of care.
Overburdened healthcare systems lead to long waiting lists. This delay can be detrimental to patients’ health, especially in dermatology, where skin diseases can worsen without timely treatment.
Research carried out by the Salamanca Primary Care Research Unit (APISAL) has revealed that teledermatology significantly reduces waiting time, reducing the average of 55.9 days for face-to-face consultations to only 2.4 days. This analysis is based on a sample of 1000 patients from the Salamanca health area, of whom 498 received face-to-face consultations and 502 received remote consultations.
In addition to the reduction in waiting times, teledermatology has been shown to better meet quality standards and is a reliable and accurate method for diagnosing skin diseases. In fact, 44% of non-face-to-face consultations were resolved without the need for an in-person visit. Also an advantage of this method is its greater accessibility, especially beneficial for patients in rural areas.
The teledermatology process involves collecting clinical data and taking photographs of skin lesions at the primary care center. This data is sent via a computer system to the dermatology service, who makes a diagnosis and, if necessary, prescribes the appropriate treatment or schedules a face-to-face consultation.
The study, published in BMC Primary Care, was conducted by members of the Primary Care Research Unit of Salamanca (APISAL), which is part of the Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL).
