Participant Satisfaction of a Community-based Telehealth Clinic for Atopic Dermatitis

October 2023 | Volume 22 | Issue 10 | 1066 | Copyright © October 2023


Published online September 29, 2023

Dillon Nussbaum BSa, Sheena Chatrath BSb, Courtney Squirewell BSc, Erika McCormick BSa, Alana Sadur BSa, Sapana Desai MDa, Jonathan Silverberg MD PhD FAADa, Adam Friedman MD FAADa

aDepartment of Dermatology, The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC
bUniversity of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
cHoward University College of Medicine, Washington, DC

DISCUSSION

Satisfaction survey results indicated that AD patients who attended the free telemedicine help desk/clinic significantly benefitted from the education and virtual care provided as well as the improved accessibility offered. Notably, the overwhelming majority of patients responded positively regarding their experience and confirmed that the maintenance of this clinical program is extremely important. These data suggest that telemedicine clinics that match education with care, strategically placed in areas impacted by decreased healthcare access, could significantly improve the care of AD patients. Further research could include employing validated measures for AD outcomes such as Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores or Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores before and after attending similar clinics to analyze objective measures of AD in addition to subjective satisfaction. Further research could also investigate how similar clinics impact trust in healthcare systems, and how that trust affects access to care.

DISCLOSURES

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Funding sources: Supported by the Pfizer ASPIRE Grant Program.
IRB approval status: Approved - Exempt: #NCR191669.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi and the Rodham Institute for their contributions to this community partnership.

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AUTHOR CORRESPONDENCE

Adam Friedman MD FAAD ajfriedman@mfa.gwu.edu