Patient Satisfaction With Teledermatology During The Covid-19 Pandemic

Introduction: As teledermatology experiences wider adoption with the Covid-19 pandemic, it is essential to examine patient experience with the modality. The objective of this study is to assess patient satisfaction with teledermatology among new-to-clinic vs existing clinic patients in the context of the rapid practice shift during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: We report a survey-based study of teledermatology patients seen at a major Southeastern medical center from May 13 to June 5, 2020. The primary outcome was patient satisfaction levels among new and existing patients, assessed with chi-squared and t tests. The secondary outcome was future willingness to use teledermatology, assessed with logistic regression. Results: Of 288 teledermatology patients seen during the study period, 184 (64%) completed the survey. Patients reported high overall satisfaction with teledermatology, with 159 (86%) participants reporting a positive experience with teledermatology. New patients had significantly higher overall satisfaction with teledermatology than follow-up patients (mean Likert 4.70 for new, 4.43 for existing; P = .03). Satisfaction with teledermatology did not significantly differ by age, race/ethnicity, education level, residence, or insurance status (P > .05). There was no significant difference in satisfaction by previous telehealth experience (P = .53); however, previous telehealth experience was associated with a higher odds of willingness to use telehealth in the future (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.31-4.35, P = .004). Conclusion: We report that the rapid expansion of teledermatology was met with high levels of patient satisfaction during the Covid-19 pandemic. Further studies are needed to identify disease-specific scheduling algorithms to ensure the visit modality suits the dermatologic condition being treated.