Patient satisfaction with dermatology consultations
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Comparison of Patient Satisfaction with face-to-face dermatology appointments before the COVID pandemic, with virtual appointments during the COVID pandemic
IRAS ID
295330
Contact name
Rachel Pollard
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
North Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
During the COVID pandemic, the provision of dermatology consultations nationally underwent a great change from primarily face-to-face appointments to virtual appointments. The change occurred not from a patient or clinician led initiative, but rather a national public health initiative with the principle aim of reducing transmission of the COVID virus. Teledermatology is likely to play a significant role in the future of dermatology, but there are few UK studies into patients’ perspectives on this significant change to their dermatology consultations.
This retrospective study aims to reveal the satisfaction with virtual appointments in a group of patients on the dermatology follow-up list in North Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust, in order to guide future service provision. Moreover, patients will be chosen specifically to have experienced dermatology appointments both before the COVID pandemic, when appointments were face-to-face, and during the pandemic, when appointments have been virtual. These patients will be called via telephone and given the choice to participate in a 3-part questionnaire. Part A will assess the patient’s opinion of their overall health, and skin health. Part B will assess the patient’s satisfaction with a pre-COVID face-to-face appointment they experienced. Part C will assess the patient’s satisfaction with a virtual appointment during COVID that they experienced. Parts B and C will each consist of the same 10 questions, which will cover 8 domains of satisfaction. Answer options to these questions will be in a 5-part Likert scale, in order that the scores from parts B and C may be statistically compared. Thus, changes in the patients’ satisfaction since the introduction of virtual clinics may be identified, which may further guide future service provision.
REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/SW/0074
Date of REC Opinion
8 Jul 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion