Collaboration Enhances Teledermatology for Underserved Areas

Led by the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and Pfizer Global Medical Grants, a new effort will provide underserved areas with access to dermatologic care through the GW Teledermatology Help Desk Clinic model.

According to the press release, dermatologic disease impacts over 30 million children and adults across the US. Affecting a large portion of this population, atopic dermatitis leads to itching along with sleep and concentration issues. Those who suffer from this condition also battle social issues related to visible symptoms.

 The two organizations, GWSMHS and Pfizer Global Medical Grants, implemented the GW Teledermatology Help Desk Clinic model to expand access to care for this condition along with other inflammatory dermatologic conditions.

Through this partnership, researchers directed efforts toward treating underserved areas that had negative outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the prevalent expansion of telehealth, one goal is to ensure that these communities have access to and know how to use this type of care.

“During the pandemic, the healthcare divide became even more apparent across many underserved areas,” said Adam Friedman, MD, chair of Dermatology and residency program director at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, in a press release. “However, as telemedicine enhanced access to dermatologic medical care for many, we also noticed that the divide itself was widened not just because there was a health desert — but now there’s also a technology desert.”

GW owns and operates a preexisting program that treats two underserved neighborhoods in Washington, DC. In the past, GW added a telehealth help desk to the Temple of Praise Church, a pillar in the community containing over fifteen thousand members.

With this new program, patients can enter the GW medical records to receive education on atopic dermatitis and how to use their devices to participate in telehealth. This new system also provides patients with a complimentary telehealth visit with a GW dermatology resident.

“In fact, there is not a single dermatologist practicing in this area of DC,” said Friedman, speaking of Ward 8, which is one of the neighborhoods involved in the program. “Though the reasons for underutilizing telemedicine can vary from patient to patient, we believe that improving access to technology and increasing awareness of teledermatology will lead to more patients using this type of healthcare to seek diagnosis and treatment before symptoms become too severe.”

After extending a patient satisfaction survey to those who participated in the pilot program, researchers quantified program efficacy.

While 70.00 percent of respondents did not have a dermatologist, 93.94 percent expressed extreme satisfaction levels. The majority (90.10 percent) indicated that telehealth changed the treatment process for atopic dermatitis, while the entire population noted that the continuation of these clinics is essential.

Amid the prevalence of telehealth in modern healthcare, many organizational efforts are battling the digital divide to ensure access for underserved communities.

In February, the University of Louisville Health’s (UofL Health) Peace Hospital and UofL Physicians collaborated to add telehealth technology to behavioral health services.

This took place through a program known as PeaceNow, which gave physicians and school counselors the ability to leverage telehealth to direct patients to behavioral health assessments.

Alongside this type of effort, research on the utility of telehealth in treating underserved populations is available. Hosted by the American Telemedicine Association, an October 2022 panel discussion at Telehealth Awareness Week consisted of physicians describing the benefits of telemental health. One of the most noticeable benefits was the potential that telehealth carries in allowing underserved groups to access care.