Teleconsultation Actions in Reducing In-Person Referrals for Oral Lesions: A Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Oral Medicine
• Oral Pathology
• Digital Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Unnecessary referrals for specialized in-person care of oral lesions contribute to healthcare system strain.
• Teleconsultation offers a potential solution to streamline referral pathways and optimize patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review on the impact of teleconsultation on reducing referrals for in-person specialist care of oral lesions.

Main Methods:

• Included studies focused on teleconsultation (synchronous, asynchronous, or unspecified) in oral medicine/pathology with referral data.
• Excluded were reviews, case reports, telemanagement, and tele-education studies.

Main Results:

• Nine articles were included; asynchronous teleconsultation was most effective in reducing referrals (8 studies).
• Referral reductions ranged from 37.3% to 80%, with 5 studies showing over 50% reduction.
• Primary care dentists frequently used teleconsultation for oral potentially malignant disorders and soft tissue tumors.

Conclusions:

• Asynchronous teleconsultation shows promise in reducing referrals, but evidence is limited and heterogeneous.
• High proportions of cases requiring in-person assessment may explain lower reduction rates.
• Future research should aim to optimize referral reduction strategies and address outcome heterogeneity.