Dermatology Department, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Clin Exp Dermatol. 2020 Aug;45(6):691-698. doi: 10.1111/ced.14191. Epub 2020 Mar 25.
Rising numbers of two-week-wait (2WW) skin cancer referrals have caused increasing pressure on UK dermatology departments. Initiatives to address this include teledermatology. Previous studies have indicated good patient acceptability but most have focused on general dermatology rather than skin cancer referrals, and have taken place in rural settings, where teledermatology may be preferable.
To evaluate patient satisfaction of teledermatology 2WW services in a London-based tertiary National Health Service (NHS) setting.
A literature search was performed and a patient satisfaction survey was designed to evaluate: (i) ease of completing a questionnaire about the skin lesion; (ii) lifestyle impact; (iii) preferences regarding electronic data collection and communication of results; and (iv) confidence in the service. A five-point Likert scale was used to assess responses. The study took place over a 20-week period.
Over half (51%; n = 31 of 60 patients) were female; 78% (47) were aged ≤ 55 years and 65% (39) were Caucasian. Over 80% (49) would recommend the service, and the majority felt confident with the teledermatology model. Overall, patients would be happy to complete electronic questionnaires and receive results electronically, with younger patients being more amenable to this. Patients with better health status, those of younger age and those with less frequent visits to a dermatologist were more accepting of teledermatology.
To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study evaluating patient satisfaction with teledermatology specifically for 2WW referrals in an NHS setting. As skin cancer referrals increase, dermatology departments must adjust. Patient involvement and feedback is paramount in implementing and expanding teledermatology services.
两周就诊（2WW）的皮肤癌转诊数量不断增加，给英国皮肤科带来了越来越大的压力。为了解决这个问题，已经采取了包括远程皮肤病学在内的措施。之前的研究表明患者接受度良好，但大多数研究都集中在普通皮肤科而不是皮肤癌转诊上，而且都是在农村地区进行的，在这些地区远程皮肤病学可能更受欢迎。
评估伦敦一家三级国家卫生服务（NHS）机构中 2WW 服务的远程皮肤病学患者满意度。
进行了文献检索，并设计了患者满意度调查，以评估：（i）完成有关皮肤病变问卷的难易程度；（ii）对生活方式的影响；（iii）对电子数据收集和结果沟通的偏好；以及（iv）对服务的信心。采用 5 分李克特量表评估反应。研究持续了 20 周。
超过一半（51%；n=31/60 名患者）为女性；78%（47 名）年龄≤55 岁，65%（39 名）为白种人。超过 80%（49 名）会推荐该服务，大多数患者对远程皮肤病学模型有信心。总体而言，患者愿意完成电子问卷并以电子方式接收结果，年轻患者更愿意这样做。健康状况较好、年龄较小和皮肤科就诊频率较低的患者对远程皮肤病学的接受程度更高。
据我们所知，这是第一项专门评估 NHS 环境中 2WW 转诊患者对远程皮肤病学满意度的综合研究。随着皮肤癌转诊数量的增加，皮肤科必须进行调整。在实施和扩大远程皮肤病学服务时，患者的参与和反馈至关重要。
