Acceptance of Telemedicine in Dermatology Patients, Physicians and Medical Staff

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study is to investigate the current use and intention to use of teledermatology in Swiss dermatology patients, dermatologists, other physicians and medical staff.

Detailed Description
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Telemedicine, the use of telecommunication and information technology to provide clinical health care from a distance, has become an increasing role in basic medical care internationally. Telemedicine is particularly suitable for skin diseases. In order to improve the use of evidence-based telemedicine, the Swiss patients' preferences regarding teledermatology versus face-to-face consultations and the patients' and physicians' determinants of acceptance for teledermatology are investigated in this study. Dermatology patients are asked to complete a newly-created 21-items-survey; Swiss dermatologists, other physicians and medical staff on telemedicine will complete a similar newly-created, 23-items-questionnaire. A descriptive statistical analysis (e.g. gender, age, place of residence (city or country), waiting time) will be performed.

Official Title
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Acceptance of Telemedicine in Dermatology Patients, Physicians and Medical Staff

Conditions
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Dermatologic Disease

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: data collection (21-items-patient descriptive survey)
* Other: data collection (23-items-physician descriptive survey)


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: patients treated in the Department of Dermatology of the Cantonal Hospital Aarau and the University Hospitals Basel and Zürich dermatologists, other physicians and medical staff of the Department of Dermatology of the Cantonal Hospital Aarau and the University Hospitals Basel and Zürich Exclusion Criteria: -

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| dermatology patients<br> | Other: data collection (21-items-patient descriptive survey)<br>* Dermatology patients are asked to complete a 21-items-survey while waiting for the doctor's consultation. Following variables will be addressed: Demographic data of telemedicine users and non-users Subjective disease perception of the dermatology patients Use of internet, telemedicine and telemedicine insurance model Patients´ willingness for additional features of telemedicine Advantages and disadvantages telemedicine and face-to-face consultation Suitable fields of dermatology for telemedicine from the patient's perspective Recommended structure of telemedical services by users and non-users<br>|
| physicians and medical staff<br> | Other: data collection (23-items-physician descriptive survey)<br>* To obtain the view of Swiss dermatologists, other physicians and medical staff on telemedicine a 23-items-survey will be completed. Following variables will be addressed: Objective disease perception of the treating dermatologist (regarding the urgency of the patient's medical examination, the functional impairment and cosmetic burden due to patient's disease, the impairment of life quality due to patient's disease and the estimation of the course of the patient's disease) Suitable fields of dermatology for telemedicine from the physician's and medical staff's perspective<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| descriptive analysis: deviation in influencing factors for the acceptance of teledermatology | Assessment of the deviation in influencing factors for the acceptance of teledermatology (subjective disease perception versus objective assessment by physicians) | at baseline | 
| descriptive analysis of the impact of medical education for the acceptance of telemedicine among dermatologists vs. other physicians vs. medical staff vs. patients | Comparison of the impact of medical education for the acceptance of telemedicine among dermatologists vs. other physicians vs. medical staff vs. patients | at baseline | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Teledermatology, Telemedicine