How to do digital Advice and Guidance well

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Digital Health
• Teledermatology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic spurred significant growth in digital Advice and Guidance (A&G) across UK medical specialties.
• Dermatology A&G requests surged over 400% since 2020, leading to widespread teledermatology service expansion in England.
• Asynchronous A&G via digital platforms, often with images, is now a primary referral route for dermatology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide guidance on best practices for high-quality dermatological Advice and Guidance (A&G).
• To address the lack of published standards for effective A&G requests and responses.
• To optimize the delivery of safe, rapid, and collaborative dermatological care through digital channels.

Main Methods:

• Review of local and national experiences from primary and secondary care physicians.
• Discussion of essential clinical skill sets for dermatological A&G.
• Focus on digital communication, shared decision-making, clinical competency, and inter-specialty collaboration.

Main Results:

• High-quality A&G requires specific clinical skills for efficient and safe patient care.
• Effective A&G can streamline patient pathways and enhance collaboration between primary and secondary care.
• Optimizing technology and response times are crucial for successful A&G implementation.

Conclusions:

• Implementing best practices in A&G can significantly improve dermatological care delivery.
• Appropriate resourcing and technological optimization are key to maximizing the benefits of A&G.
• Strengthening collaborative links through A&G enhances patient management and clinician engagement.