Teledermatology Versus Usual Care on Delay Before Diagnosis and Treatment of Dermatologic Conditions (TELEDERMATO)

Paris Diderot University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Dermatologic Conditions

Treatments: Other: Teledermatology

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02122432

DMG002

Details and patient eligibility

About

In France, there is usually a long delay (approximately 6 weeks) before a general practitioner can obtain a specialized advice by dermatologists for diagnosis of "unusual" dermatologic conditions of their patients.

Previous studies have shown that teledermatology is a reliable way for diagnosis in dermatology.

We hypothesize that a teledermatology advice could reduce delay before diagnosis and therefore treatment for patients.

Full description

In France, there is usually a long delay (approximately 6 weeks) before a general practitioner can obtain a specialized advice by dermatologists for diagnosis of "unusual" dermatologic conditions of their patients.

Previous studies have shown that teledermatology is a reliable way for diagnosis in dermatology.

We hypothesize that a teledermatology advice could reduce delay before diagnosis and therefore treatment for patients.

Enrollment: 109 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Consultation with a general practitioner for any motive during which, the general practitioner deems necessary to obtain a dermatologic expertise for a skin lesion (for diagnosis or treatment)

Exclusion criteria

• Emergency, assessed by the general practitioner (needs care or quick telephonic advice in the next 24 hours)
• Patients for which diagnosis and/or treatment are known by the general practitioner (the GP needs a dermatologic advice for a specific treatment (for example= laser, instrumental treatment...))
• Patient cannot go the dermatologic consultation by himself (for example: dependant patients...)
• Cognitive or psychiatric impairment (cannot give informed consent)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Diagnostic

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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109 participants in 2 patient groups

Teledermatology

Experimental group

Description:

General practitioner takes 3 photographs per dermatologic lesion using either a telephone with a 3Mega Pixel minimum camera or a standard camera following recommendations of the practice guidelines for teledermatology (2007) of the American Telemedicine Association and sends them to the dermatologist using a secured email server. Dermatologist answer is standardized.

Treatment:

Other: Teledermatology

Usual care

No Intervention group

Description:

Usual care for dermatologic conditions requiring an expertise from a dermatologist involves the general practitioner 1) giving the patient a paper letter containing at least the following information: date of symptoms, symptomatology, topography of lesions, description of lesions, extension, recent drug intakes) and 2) telling him to see the dermatologist of his choice (patient manages his appointments alone).