Paediatric dermatology teleconsultations: a survey of healthcare professionals in the UK
McCusker, Sarah King Stokes, Natalie Hunjan, Manrup Daly, Aoife George, Susannah Solman, Lea Burden-Teh, Esther
McCusker, Sarah
King Stokes, Natalie
Hunjan, Manrup
Daly, Aoife
George, Susannah
Solman, Lea
Burden-Teh, Esther
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2023-07-07
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Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic catapulted dermatology services into a digital era, with the rapid introduction of teleconsultations. The UK National Health Service operational planning guidance recommends ≥ 25% of consultations are delivered remotely. There is a lack of data regarding the acceptability and effectiveness of paediatric dermatology teleconsultations. We surveyed UK healthcare professionals (HCPs) to explore their experiences of teleconsultations in paediatric dermatology, with a focus on follow-up consultations for paediatric eczema (PE), to inform a future clinical trial. There were 119 responses. Pre-pandemic, 37% provided some form of teleconsultation service, rising to 92% post-pandemic. In total, 41% (n = 49) now carry out > 25% of consultations remotely. We found 55% felt teleconsultations were less effective than face-to-face ones for PE follow-up. Eighty HCPs offered teleconsultations for PE. Among the HPCs who offered teleconsultations for PE, the most effective format for follow-up consultations was felt to be telephone with photographs (52/80, 65%). Our results demonstrate varying opinion on the effectiveness and optimal format of paediatric teleconsultations, supporting the need for further research.
Citation
McCusker S, King Stokes N, Hunjan M, Daly A, George S, Solman L, Burden-Teh E. Paediatric dermatology teleconsultations: a survey of healthcare professionals in the UK. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2023 Jul 7;48(7):785-789. doi: 10.1093/ced/llad120. PMID: 36999563.
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