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VA Telederm study: protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial to compare access to care for a mobile app versus a workstation-based store-and-forward teledermatology process.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Done, N; Oh, DH; Weinstock, MA; Whited, JD; Jackson, GL; King, HA; Peracca, SB; Elwy, AR; Prentice, JC
Published in: BMJ Open
December 14, 2018

INTRODUCTION: Teledermatology has emerged as an important strategy to enhance access to high-quality skin care. VA Telederm is a provider-facing, web-based mobile app designed to integrate into the existing teledermatology workflow in the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA). In this study, we will conduct a systematic evaluation of VA Telederm on access outcomes in VHA facilities using a pragmatic trial guided by clinical and operational leaders. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study is a prospective, stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial with cross-sectional exposure and outcome measurement via retrospective database analysis of administrative records. Each cluster is a VHA facility deemed eligible for the trial. We assign the intervention using a cluster-level balanced randomisation scheme based on facility size, baseline teledermatology uptake and geographic location. The trial will test whether patients receiving dermatological care at participating facilities will have better access compared with patients receiving care through the current standard process. The primary outcomes proxy for patient-level access to dermatology services, including (1) consult completion time for teledermatology consults; (2) appointment completion time for new dermatology consults; and (3) travel distance for dermatology services. As secondary outcomes, we will assess facility-level adoption outcomes, that is, the number of dermatology encounters and the proportion of teledermatology consults out of all dermatology encounters. To account for secular trends in outcomes and for correlation across individuals within clusters, we will assess the impact of the intervention using generalised linear mixed regression models. DISCUSSION: Streamlining the current practice for store-and-forward teledermatology in the VHA can improve access to expert dermatological care for US veterans. The lessons learnt in this trial could validate the use of mobile technology for consultative store-and-forward dermatology in a large healthcare organisation. The results may also be of interest to other medical specialties assessing the merits of implementing mobile telehealth. PROTOCOL VERSION: Version 3; 7 November 2018. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03241589; Pre-results.

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Published In

BMJ Open

DOI

EISSN

2044-6055

Publication Date

December 14, 2018

Volume

8

Issue

12

Start / End Page

e022218

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Veterans
  • Telemedicine
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Referral and Consultation
  • Prospective Studies
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
  • Mobile Applications
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
 

Citation

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Done, N., Oh, D. H., Weinstock, M. A., Whited, J. D., Jackson, G. L., King, H. A., … Prentice, J. C. (2018). VA Telederm study: protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial to compare access to care for a mobile app versus a workstation-based store-and-forward teledermatology process. BMJ Open, 8(12), e022218. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022218
Done, Nicolae, Dennis H. Oh, Martin A. Weinstock, John D. Whited, George L. Jackson, Heather A. King, Sara B. Peracca, A Rani Elwy, and Julia C. Prentice. “VA Telederm study: protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial to compare access to care for a mobile app versus a workstation-based store-and-forward teledermatology process.BMJ Open 8, no. 12 (December 14, 2018): e022218. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022218.
Done N, Oh DH, Weinstock MA, Whited JD, Jackson GL, King HA, Peracca SB, Elwy AR, Prentice JC. VA Telederm study: protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial to compare access to care for a mobile app versus a workstation-based store-and-forward teledermatology process. BMJ Open. 2018 Dec 14;8(12):e022218.

Published In

BMJ Open

DOI

EISSN

2044-6055

Publication Date

December 14, 2018

Volume

8

Issue

12

Start / End Page

e022218

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Veterans
  • Telemedicine
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Referral and Consultation
  • Prospective Studies
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
  • Mobile Applications
  • Middle Aged
  • Male