Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Remote Consultation”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed2007

The additive value of second opinion teleconsulting in the management of patients with challenging inflammatory, neoplastic skin diseases: a best practice model in dermatology?

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine is the practice of healthcare using interactive processes of communication to facilitate healthcare delivery, including diagnosis, consultation and treatment, as well as education and transfer of medical data. The aim of teledermatology, just as telemedicine, is to promote best practice procedures and to improve the consistency and competence of health care. AIM: To investigate the diagnostic additive value of second opinion teleconsulting in patients with challenging dermatoses, among dermatologists working in two different dermatology departments. SETTING: Thirty-three cases of patients with challenging inflammatory and neoplastic skin diseases at the University of L'Aquila Department of Dermatology were sent for teleconsultation to the Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Graz, Austria. METHODS: All cases were selected in the outpatient service in L'Aquila. After face-to-face consultation with a local colleague had been completed, images were sent using a store-and-forward (SAF)-based system (http://www.telederm.org) to Graz. Histopathological examination together with follow-up of the patient represents the diagnostic gold standard for this study. RESULTS: Telediagnosis was correct in 26 of 33 (78.8%) cases. Sixteen of 33 cases (48.5%) had already been diagnosed face-to-face by at least one of the two dermatologists in L'Aquila. In 10 of 33 cases (30.3%), the correct diagnosis was made in teleconsultation only. CONCLUSIONS: Second opinion teleconsulting may represent an additive value in the diagnosis of numerous challenging inflammatory and neoplastic skin diseases. It may be particularly useful as a best practice model for smaller departments in order to discuss and/or to confirm diagnoses and also for the management of patients with unusual difficult dermatoses.

Benchmarking↗
PubMed2004

Interactive video specialty consultations in long-term care.

OBJECTIVES: To assess provider and resident satisfaction with and outcomes of specialist physician consultations provided via interactive video to residents of a long-term care (LTC) center. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Two Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) and a state LTC center. PARTICIPANTS: Physicians (n=12) at the VAMC and nurses (n=30) and residents (n=62) at the LTC center. INTERVENTION: Interactive video conferencing to provide physician specialty visits to residents at the LTC center. MEASUREMENTS: Satisfaction ratings and record review to determine changes in treatment plan and follow-up care. RESULTS: Data were collected on 76 individual consultations in six clinics. The most frequent outcome was a change in treatment plan with the resident remaining at the LTC setting (n=29, 38%) or no change in treatment (n=26, 34%). Physicians' ratings were 78% good to excellent for usefulness in developing a diagnosis, 87% good to excellent for usefulness in developing a treatment plan, 79% good to excellent for quality of transmission, and 86% good to excellent satisfaction with the consult format. Overall, 72% of residents were satisfied with the consult format, and 92% felt that it was easier to obtain medical care via telemedicine. Nurses felt that the telemedicine clinics were a good use of their time and skills (100%). CONCLUSION: There was a high rate of physician, patient, and nurse satisfaction with interactive video conferencing. Care delivered to residents of LTC settings via video conferencing offers a number of potential advantages, including avoidance of travel for patient and provider and potentially greater continuity of care.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed2004

Teledentistry in the United States: a new horizon of dental care.

Teledentistry has been developing since 1994 as a means to allow dental professionals to communicate with one another over long distances. It allows collaboration by multiple practitioners regarding a patient and the necessary treatment for this patient. Teledentistry can be greatly utilized with rural communities or those of underserved populations. It would increase the accessibility of specialists, besides decreasing time and cost associated with specialty consultations. Real-time videoconferencing and store and forward techniques are the mostly commonly used methodologies for teledentistry. Teledentistry will become more widely seen and utilized by the increase in digital media found in dental practices.

Dental Health Services↗
PubMed2003

Virtual outreach: economic evaluation of joint teleconsultations for patients referred by their general practitioner for a specialist opinion.

OBJECTIVES: To test the hypotheses that, compared with conventional outpatient consultations, joint teleconsultation (virtual outreach) would incur no increased costs to the NHS, reduce costs to patients, and reduce absences from work by patients and their carers. DESIGN: Cost consequences study alongside randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Two hospitals in London and Shrewsbury and 29 general practices in inner London and Wales. PARTICIPANTS: 3170 patients identified; 2094 eligible for inclusion and willing to participate. 1051 randomised to virtual outreach and 1043 to standard outpatient appointments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: NHS costs, patient costs, health status (SF-12), time spent attending index consultation, patient satisfaction. RESULTS: Overall six months costs were greater for the virtual outreach consultations ( pound 724 per patient) than for conventional outpatient appointments ( pound 625): difference in means pound 99 ($162; 138) (95% confidence interval pound 10 to pound 187, P=0.03). If the analysis is restricted to resource items deemed "attributable" to the index consultation, six month costs were still greater for virtual outreach: difference in means pound 108 ( pound 73 to pound 142, P < 0.0001). In both analyses the index consultation accounted for the excess cost. Savings to patients in terms of costs and time occurred in both centres: difference in mean total patient cost pound 8 ( pound 5 to pound 10, P < 0.0001). Loss of productive time was less in the virtual outreach group: difference in mean cost pound 11 ( pound 10 to pound 12, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The main hypothesis that virtual outreach would be cost neutral is rejected, but the hypotheses that costs to patients and losses in productivity would be lower are supported.

Cost of Illness↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Multimedia image and data navigation workstation.

World Wide Web (WWW) standards have been established for the transmission of and remote consultation on medical information and records, including medical images, extracted from an existing hospital information system. A software package called Osiris is being used for the display and manipulation of medical images in a hospital-based picture archiving and communication system. Recent extensions of Osiris, through the integration of WWW navigational tools, allow easy access to a variety of clinical data from patient records. A special interface allows access to radiologic images, laboratory results, and related textual information through public-domain software programs. These technologic advances offer medical professionals the convenience and ease of use that have made WWW and Internet navigation so popular in the academic community.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed2004

[Internet physician's offices: main reasons for consultation and differences with Primary Care offices].

INTRODUCTION: Direct communication between patients and physicians through internet can represent an opportunity for medical consultation because of higher access that provides this medium. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted in order to know the content and the characteristics of the consultations of a free medical physician's office by internet and its differences with the consultations in Primary Care. RESULTS: During a period of 45 days 221 consultations of which 188 corresponded to health problems were received. The average age of the consultants was very young (21.5 15.7 years; average SD), with predominance of men over women (1,4:1). In the consultations by internet, and in comparison with those of Primary Care, dermatological (relative risk: 6.1; CI 95%: 5.2-10.8), nervous system and sense organs (RR: 1.9; CI 95%: 1.3-2.8), genitourinary (RR: 2.0; CI 95%: 1.3-3.2), and digestive system (RR: 1.7; CI 95%: 1.1-2.6) consultations were carried out more frequently; less frequent consultations were those of respiratory tract (RR: 0.30; CI 95%: 0.16-0.56) and circulatory system (RR: 0.11; CI 95%: 0.03-0.33). CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics of this type of consultations and of the population group that ask for them are the reasons that their content and the grade of resolution of problems are very far from those of Primary Care.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

An analysis of telephone calls to an inner-city accident and emergency department.

The general public in the UK often telephone accident and emergency (A&E) departments for medical advice. Such calls are usually dealt with by nursing staff in an informal manner (often with no written record of the call being made). The specific questions addressed in this study are who was calling for advice, when did they call, what were their presenting complaints, and what was the outcome of the call? In addition, the study provided an opportunity to test the implementation of a new system of record-keeping for telephone consultation. A telephone consultation record (TCR) was developed and used to record details of each call made to the A&E department for medical/health advice. An analysis of 597 consecutive documented calls is presented in this paper. The majority of calls were dealt with by 'E' grade nursing staff (42.7%); only four calls (0.7%) were recorded by medical staff. Two hundred and six (43.5%) calls related to patients aged up to 15 years. In 57% of the cases the call was made by a third party. In all, 149 different presenting complaints were recorded on the TCRs. The three most common presenting complaints were dental problems (7.4%), fever (4.3%), and concerns about drug reactions (23%). Seventy-three per cent of callers were advised that a visit to the A&E department was not immediately necessary. The study identifies several important issues for development of a more formal and effective system of telephone advice. The majority of calls made to the A&E department appeared to be of a primary care nature but the extent to which nurses are trained to assess and advise on these problems needs to be questioned. A reluctance to document the calls to A&E was identified, one reason being a concern about accountability. Training and support are clearly required.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Comparison of asynchronous and realtime teleconsulting for orthopaedic second opinions.

We studied a teleconsulting service for second opinions in orthopaedics. Three units of the national insurance organization for accidents at work were connected to a large orthopaedic hospital in Bologna. During a 20-month study, 65 consultations were provided: 51 (78%) by asynchronous (store-and-forward) consulting and 14 (22%) by realtime videoconferencing. All the consultations made use of radiology images (radiographs, computerized tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging scans and ultrasound scans). Video-messages and still images were commonly used to support the asynchronous consultations. More data were transmitted on average for an asynchronous teleconsultation (8 MByte) than in a videoconference (5 MByte). The average time spent by orthopaedic specialists was slightly longer in videoconferences (21 min, SD 8) than in asynchronous teleconsultations (19 min, SD 8). The clinicians confidence in their diagnosis was generally good but was lower in asynchronous consultations. The main problem affecting the telemedicine service was the lack or the low quality of the information received from the referring sites. The clinical complexity of the case and the organizational requirements were declared to be the main factors affecting the choice of consulting procedure. The study showed that the asynchronous method was preferred in the majority of cases and could be easily integrated into clinical practice, although there were some concerns about the diagnostic quality of the information transmitted.

Humans↗
PubMed2002

Patient-focused urban tele-ophthalmology services.

Since 2000, routine tele-ophthalmology services have been provided by St Erik's Eye Hospital to three large urban primary care centres in Stockholm. Diagnostic support from the specialist eye hospital to primary care centres uses video slit-lamps and realtime videoconferencing. After the initial introduction period at the primary care centres, the number of teleconsultations stabilized at a very low level. Despite this, the general practitioners learned to handle more diagnostic conditions by themselves and to identify what diagnostic situations should be referred to a specialist without having to consult the specialist beforehand via telemedicine. The availability of instant eye expertise via telemedicine therefore proved to be an excellent on-the-job training tool to develop and maintain the diagnostic competence of general practitioners. Patient satisfaction was high.

Eye Diseases↗
PubMed2002

Future patient care: tele-empowerment.

We explored the attitudes and responses of older people to telecare and home-based technologies. The perceptions of a small group of subjects who had no knowledge or experience of the use of telehealth equipment were compared with the experiences of a second small group who had used a video-link in a remote consultation with their general practitioner. Data were collected by engaging subjects in a semistructured interview in their own home. A questionnaire, which was developed following the analysis of the interview data, was also distributed to three client groups in Scotland. These groups were day hospital patients, residents of local authority sheltered housing schemes and residents of a private housing association. One hundred and ninety-nine questionnaires were returned (a 42% response rate), all from people aged 60 years and over. Analysis of the questionnaires suggested that the main demographic factors associated with positive attitudes to telecare were age, home ownership, dwelling type (sheltered housing or not) and household composition. The results suggest that an appropriate nurse-led telehealth service, which facilitates trust between clients, providers and the technology, could be the mechanism by which to encourage people to accept and use home-based systems.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Design and performance of a multicentre, randomized controlled trial of teleconsulting.

We have designed and performed a multicentre, randomized controlled trial of teleconsulting. The trial investigated the effectiveness and cost implications in rural and inner-city settings of using videoconferencing as an alternative to general practitioner referral to a hospital specialist. The participating general practitioners referred a total of 3170 patients who satisfied the entry criteria. Of these, 1040 (33%) failed to provide consent or otherwise refused to participate in the trial. Of the patients recruited to the trial, a total of 1902 (91%) completed and returned the baseline questionnaire. Although the trial was successful in recruiting sufficient patients and in obtaining high questionnaire response rates, the findings will require careful interpretation to take account of the limits which the protocol placed on the ability of general practitioners to select patients for referral.

Family Practice↗
PubMed1996

An evaluation of telemedical support for a minor treatment centre.

A low-cost telemedicine link was established from an accident and emergency department in Belfast to support nurse practitioners running a minor treatment centre (MTC) in London. During the 12 months before the introduction of the telemedicine link, 6729 patients were seen in the MTC. Of these, 155 (2.3%) were referred to the nearest accident and emergency department and 802 (11.9%) were referred to their general practitioner (GP). During the first 12 months of the use of the telemedicine link, 9972 patients were seen in the MTC. Of these, 147 (1.5%) were referred to the accident and emergency department and 383 (3.8%) were referred to their GP. During the evaluation period, 51 patients were seen using the telemedicine link, representing 0.5% of all MTC attenders during that period. The total number of teleconsultations was less than expected. The reasons for this difference include random variation, but could also include confidence resulting from the presence of the link and a training effect. The telemedicine link for trauma and minor injuries was an extremely cost-effective way of providing medical expertise to cover the clinical risk of the 0.5-1.5% of the case load that required expert medical opinion. The direct costs of on-site medical staff would have been 50,000 pounds per annum, excluding overhead charges. The annual cost of the videolink, including overheads, was 7250 pounds, amounting to a saving of some 42,000 pounds per annum.

Emergency Medical Services↗
PubMed2002

Design and performance of a multi-centre randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation of joint tele-consultations [ISRCTN54264250].

BACKGROUND: Appropriate information flow is crucial to the care of patients, particularly at the interface between primary and secondary care. Communication problems can result from inadequate organisation and training, There is a major expectation that information and communication technologies may offer solutions, but little reliable evidence. This paper reports the design and performance of a multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT), unparalleled in telemedicine research in either scale or range of outcomes. The study investigated the effectiveness and cost implications in rural and inner-city settings of using videoconferencing to perform joint tele-consultations as an alternative to general practitioner referral to the hospital specialist in the outpatient clinic. METHODS: Joint tele-consultation services were established in both the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust in inner London, and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals Trust, in Shropshire. All the patients who gave consent to participate were randomised either to joint tele-consultation or to a routine outpatients appointment. The principal outcome measures included the frequency of decision by the specialist to offer a follow-up outpatient appointment, patient satisfaction (Ware Specific Questionnaire), wellbeing (SF12) and enablement (PEI), numbers of tests, investigations, procedures and treatments. RESULTS: A total of 134 general practitioners operating from 29 practices participated in the trial, referring a total of 3170 patients to 20 specialists in ENT medicine, general medicine (including endocrinology, and rheumatology), gastroenterology, orthopaedics, neurology and urology. Of these, 2094 patients consented to participate in the study and were correctly randomised. There was a 91% response rate to the initial assessment questionnaires, and analysis showed equivalence for all key characteristics between the treatment and control groups. CONCLUSION: We have designed and performed a major multi-centre trial of teleconsultations in two contrasting centres. Many problems were overcome to enable the trial to be carried out, with a considerable development and learning phase. A lengthier development phase might have enabled us to improve the patient selection criteria, but there is a window of opportunity for these developments, and we believe that our approach was appropriate, allowing the evaluation of the technology before its widespread implementation.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

A randomized controlled trial to assess the clinical effectiveness of both realtime and store-and-forward teledermatology compared with conventional care.

The clinical effectiveness of realtime teledermatology, store-and-forward teledermatology and conventional outpatient dermatological care were evaluated in a randomized control trial. A total of 204 patients took part--102 patients were randomized to the realtime teledermatology consultation, 96 of whose cases were also referred using a store-and-forward technique, and 102 to the conventional outpatient consultation. There were no differences in the reported clinical outcomes of realtime teledermatology and conventional dermatology. Of those randomized to the realtime teledermatology consultation, 46% required at least one subsequent hospital appointment compared with 45% of those randomized to the conventional outpatient consultation. In contrast, the dermatologist requested a subsequent hospital appointment for 69% of those seen by store-and-forward teledermatology. An analysis of costs showed that realtime teledermatology was clinically feasible but more expensive than conventional care, while the store-and-forward teledermatology consultation was less expensive but its clinical usefulness was limited. Sensitivity analysis indicated that realtime teledermatology was as economical as conventional care when less artificial assumptions were made about equipment utilization, costs and travel distances to hospital.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

An assessment of the potential effect of a teledermatology system.

The potential effect of a commercial teledermatology system was assessed. The system allowed general practitioners to send dermatologists a set of digital images, accompanied by a short patient history. Patients were seen, in the normal way, by consultant dermatologists. The system was then used to capture a set of images. These were viewed by two dermatologists, 13 months later. Reasonably high levels of agreement were found between the dermatologist seeing the patient and the dermatologist using the telemedicine system (77%). The two dermatologists were also asked to indicate whether, had the system been in use, the patient would have been seen urgently or routinely, or whether the general practitioner would have been advised that an outpatient appointment was not required. The results showed that fewer patients would have been called for urgent appointments (32% compared with 64%) and that 31% of cases could have been managed by the general practitioner. Assuming that the introduction of the system would have had no effect on the overall number of referrals, nor on the number of follow-up appointments, these figures suggest that the total number of appointments could be cut by 13%. It took approximately an hour to view 20 cases and it would be necessary to devote one consultant session a week to viewing images. This system would therefore not lead to significant savings, nor reduce the waiting list for outpatient appointments. The idea would have potential if the review of images could be made as easy as the triage of referral letters.

Dermatology↗
PubMed2000

Telepsychiatry evaluation in the north-west of England: preliminary results of a qualitative study.

A telepsychiatry referral service for patients suffering from anxiety and depression was evaluated from a user perspective. Low-cost video-phones linked a psychiatrist to two general practices in the north-west of England. Quantitative data were collected using a semistructured interview schedule. Twenty-two patients and 13 doctors were interviewed after a video-link consultation. Some users were very positive about the service and recognized its potential benefits, while others were more ambivalent. Patients saw the service as a means of obtaining additional 'expert' advice. General practitioners felt that the service might adversely affect the doctor-patient relationship in psychiatry. Both patients and clinicians recognized that the video-link modified normal interaction. Users need to adapt to this form of communication. An induction session is recommended for both patients and clinicians.

Anxiety↗
PubMed2000

An experimental teleradiology transmission system using a high-speed ATM backbone network.

We evaluated the performance of an experimental teleradiology system based on a high-speed ATM backbone network. Image acquisition, transmission and the disk-to-display processing times were measured. Computerized tomography (CT) scans printed on 14 inch x 17 inch (36 cm x 43 cm) films were digitized and transferred over the network. The average time for the entire process was 1 min 30 s. Three radiologists interpreted 20 cases. For CT image interpretation, the reading time for one case ranged from 2 to 12 min (mean 6 min 46 s) on a monitor, and from 1 to 3 min (mean 1 min 31 s) with the original film. The ATM backbone network operating at 156 Mbit/s provided sufficient speed for remote consultation. However, further improvements in the operability of the system, especially the image viewing station, are necessary before it will be satisfactory for clinical use.

Computer Systems↗