Patient satisfaction with the Veteran's Administration teledermatology service.

Background: Teledermatology is comparable to face-to-face visits in providing accurate diagnoses and effective treatments. However, there are limited data regarding patient satisfaction with teledermatology models that more directly convey provider recommendations to patients.

Objective: To assess patient satisfaction with the teledermatology service at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (AVAMC).

Methods: A cross-sectional, phone-based questionnaire study of 175 AVAMC teledermatology patients was performed to investigate patient satisfaction. In phase 1 (n = 100), we compared the teleconsultative and telemedicine models. In phase 2 (n = 75), we compared patients who received 1 of 3 possible consult outcomes: reassurance, appointment for biopsy, or appointment for face-to-face evaluation.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in satisfaction between patients who were seen with the telemedicine and teleconsultative models. Patients who received appointments for face-to-face evaluation or biopsy were more satisfied than patients who received reassurance only. Both phases were remarkable for high patient satisfaction among all cohorts.

Limitations: This study was performed at a single Veterans Affairs medical center and is vulnerable to both nonresponse bias and recall bias.

Conclusion: Overall, patients are satisfied with teledermatology services at the AVAMC. Strong partnership with referring primary care providers and clear delineation of responsibilities is vital to the teledermatology process.