Teledermatology: A User's Guide

by Hon S. Pak MD, Karen E. Edison MD, John D. Whited MD MHS

Overview

Teledermatology: A User’s Guide was written to provide practical information for those individuals contemplating or planning a teledermatology program or expanding their current use of teledermatology. It focuses on the practical aspects of teledermatology implementation while providing a comprehensive treatment of the topic. Discussions include: business models and reimbursement issues; the current status of teledermatology research; the integration of teledermatology into dermatology residency training programs; ethical considerations; confidentiality issues; and the “art of teledermatology.” It explores the technical aspects of teledermatology and describes the differences between live interactive techniques and store and forward techniques. This book is intended to provide both novice and seasoned teledermatologists with comprehensive and practical information on teledermatology. Many of the chapter authors are among the world experts in teledermatology and have developed successful and viable teledermatology programs. The knowledge presented here is based on the lessons they have learned in the course of teledermatology development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521683357
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/10/2008
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.39(d)

About the Author

Dr. Hon S. Pak is Director of Advanced Information Technology Group for the US Army's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) at Fort Detrick, MD. He is responsible for integrating advanced healthcare information technologies into the military healthcare system, and he oversees the R&D arm of Military Healthcare System's CIO office. Prior to this assignment, he served at Wilford Hall Air Force Medical Center as chief of dermatologic surgery and at Brooke Army Medical Center as the associate program director of the combined Army-Air Force SAUSHEC Dermatology Residency, and chief of teledermatology of Great Plains Regional Medical Command. Since 2000, he has served as the Army Surgeon General's Consultant for Teledermatology, and is internationally recognized as a leader and innovator in the field of telemedicine. In addition, he is the president of the Association of Military Dermatologists and president of the American Telemedicine Association and Chair of their Standards and Guideline Committee.

Dr. Karen E. Edison is a seasoned clinician with extensive experience in caring for patients at distant sites via telehealth. She received her medical degree and completed her residency in dermatology at the University of Missouri in Columbia where she joined the faculty in 1993. She served as Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow and then majority health policy staff for the Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee in the United States Senate from 1999-2001, where she was highly instrumental in the legislative expansion of Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services. She returned to Missouri in 2001, where her current titles include Philip C. Anderson Professor and Chairman of the Department of Dermatology, Medical Director of the Missouri Telehealth Network, and Co-Director of the Center for Health Policy at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Dr. John D. Whited is a Research Associate with the Health Services Research and Development Service with the Department of Veterans Affairs and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, USA. Dr. Whited received his medical degree from the West Virginia University School of Medicine and a Master of Health Sciences from the Duke University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University Hospitals and a research fellowship in General Internal Medicine and Ambulatory Care at the Duke University Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Whited pursues an active clinical research agenda focusing almost exclusively on telemedicine. He is considered one of the world's experts on teledermatology research with several published studies that include assessments of diagnostic reliability and accuracy, clinical outcomes, and economic analyses.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction Hon Pak, Karen Edison and John Whited; 2. Teledermatology modalities John Whited, Hon Pak and Karen Edison; 3. Utilization survey Anne Burdick and Shasa Hu; 4. Review of literature John Whited; 5. Policies, barriers, and other issues to consider Joe Kvedar, Karen Rheuban and Karen Edison; 6. Business models Hon Pak, Marc Goldyne and Gail Barker; 7. Reimbursement models Karen Edison and Hon Pak; 8. Steps to starting a new teledermatology program Joe Tracy, Karen Edison and Hon Pak; 9. Teledermatology's impact on ethics David Fleming; 10. Teledermatology in dermatology residency Anne Burdick, Kimberly A. Sackheim and Daniel Siegel; 11. Art of teledermatology Hon Pak and Karen Edison.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Patricia Wong, MD (Private Practice)
Description: If you are interested in incorporating videoconferencing in your practice, you will be interested in this book. It will appeal to dermatologists who love computer technology, have electronic records, want to make it easier for their patients who, instead of driving to the office can shoot a photograph of their rash or changing nevus to you and - voila!— you diagnose and treat. With rising gas prices, expensive office overhead, etc., this may be the wave of the future. Dermatologists may not need to have an office — they can work from home!
Purpose: The purpose is to help dermatologists become aware of the possibilities that technology can offer in their practices and perhaps help expand their services to people who cannot get to the office because they live too far away, or perhaps are vacationing in Bora Bora, or are too infirm to travel, or just don't want to bother to come in, but want treatment for that annoying itch. It brings up interesting issues practitioners must consider as we enter the 21st century.
Audience: The audience is dermatologists.
Features: The book discusses the elements to consider when deciding to add such a feature to a practice. Large clinics and medical centers, such as the Veterans Administration Hospitals and Clinics and University of California San Francisco Medical Center, find it useful, so there is a precedent for the system. The reimbursement problems are the biggest stumbling block to offering the service and this is addressed in the book.
Assessment: I am not aware of any other books on this subject. If you are considering adding this technology to your practice, this book has some practical advice on how to get started and points out potential problems you may face in the process. The appendix also has helpful checklists for patients and staff in setting up protocols.

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