Teledermatology consultations provide specialty care for farmworkers in rural clinics.
BACKGROUND
Rural patients have limited access to dermatologic care. Farmworkers have high rates of skin disease and limited access to care.


OBJECTIVE
This exploratory study assessed whether teledermatology consultations could help meet the needs of health care providers for farmworkers in rural clinics.


METHODS
Dermatologists provided 79 consultations, using store-and-forward teledermatology, to farmworkers who presented with a skin disease to rural North Carolina clinics. Clinic providers rated the value of the consultation.


RESULTS
Most requests for consultations (94%) came from family nurse practitioners or physician assistants. Twelve percent of consultations were rated somewhat helpful, and the remainder helpful or very helpful. After receiving the consultation, providers changed the diagnosis in 13% of cases. The consultation led providers to contact or attempt to contact 21% of patients to change treatment recommendations.


CONCLUSIONS
Access to expert dermatologic services is needed by rural health care providers. Teledermatology consultations may be a helpful tool to meet this need.
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1084, USA.
Quirina M
QM
Vallejos
Sara A
SA
Quandt
Steven R
SR
Feldman
Alan B
AB
Fleischer
Thanh
T
Brooks
Gonzalo
G
Cabral
Judy
J
Heck
Mark R
MR
Schulz
Amit
A
Verma
Lara E
LE
Whalley
Thomas A
TA
Arcury
D000293:Adolescent; D000383:Agriculture; D003880:Dermatology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000458:organization & administration*