Telemedicine

Follow-up visits conducted via a secure Web site may result in similar clinical outcomes as in-person visits among patients with acne, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

'Ensuring timely access to high-quality care is currently a challenge for the stressed U.S. health care system. Many specialities, including internal medicine, psychiatry and dermatology, are struggling to accommodate a growing demand for appointments owing to a critical shortage of health care providers,' the authors write as background information in the article. Dermatology, in particular, faces challenges such as an increase in skin cancer and a work force that is not equally distributed geographically. 'One potential solution to these issues may be the adoption of innovative, technology-enabled models of care delivery.'

'In this trial, delivering follow-up care to subjects with mild to moderate acne via office and online visits produced equivalent clinical outcomes by several different metrics,' the authors conclude. 'These findings suggest that dermatologists obtain sufficient information from digital images and survey responses to make appropriate management decisions in the treatment of acne. In addition, this model of care delivery was popular with both physicians and patients, likely owing to the convenience and/or time savings associated with e-visits.'

Although this article discusses follow-up care for a fairly benign condition - mild to moderate acne - it highlights the growing need for, and benefits of, telemedicine.