Telemedicine is nothing new, but the practice of seeing patients from a distance is getting a huge push during the COVID crisis.
When the COVID pandemic hit, the American Academy of Dermatology advised its members to see only urgent cases, but at Family Dermatology of Albemarle, Dr. Brett Krasner was puzzled.
“Because if we don’t see the non-urgent dermatology cases in our office, then they’re going to end up in the emergency rooms or the urgent care clinics overburdened with potential coronavirus cases right now," Krasner explains. "And additionally we don't want these healthy patients to be exposed."
The solution, he and his partners concluded, was to offer online visits using platforms like doxy.me and Healow.
At first, he says, some patients were reluctant to try a new technology.
“But once they do, and our staff walks them right through it, I’ve had patient after patient tell me, ‘Wow, that was so easy. I’m looking forward to doing it again this way.”
And a fair number of patients are just looking for reassurance.
"Half of the cases I had today were, ‘What is this thing? Is this a cancer?'" Krasner says. "We were able to say definitely, because the video is actually quite good, that they were benign, and they don’t need to be seen in the office at this time."
But there are still situations when an in-person visit is necessary.
"More urgent things would be painful or spreading skin infections, maybe their primary care doctor saw something that looked like a malignancies that was spreading quickly or enlarging. Maybe a rash that’s spreading over their entire body. Those are people we would consider getting in more urgently and seeing them live rather than teledermatology."
So he and his partners do see patients at the office one morning per week. Once the pandemic is past, Krasner says he may use telemedicine more. The key is getting insurance companies to cover the cost – something they are doing during the pandemic.
“The insurances have done the right thing in reducing all barriers to using telemedicine to make sure patients stay in their homes and don’t get exposed.”
And one of Krasner’s patients said she loved the convenience and reassurance telemedicine provides.
“I would have been very distressed about myself – being home, self-isolated, and not being able to have someone look at it," she expalined. "I really appreciate the technology.”
Ironically, the coming of COVID-19 has produced an even larger number of patients with common complete – skin irritation on the hands. Krasner says washing a lot with soap will do that. Hand sanitizer is less irritating but not as effective in killing pathogens on the hands. Either way, the key to keeping skin comfortable is to use a moisturizing lotion each time after you clean. In Charlottesville, I’m Sandy Hausman.