To reduce the waiting lists of several months in dermatology, Quebec will deploy this summer accelerated access to teleconsultation in all regions. An initiative that aims in particular to ensure that thousands of non-emergency cases referred to a dermatologist are treated virtually in 7 to 14 days.
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé made the announcement Monday in Montreal, alongside the president of the Federation of Medical Specialists of Quebec, Dr.r Vincent Oliva, and the President of the Association of Dermatologist Specialist Physicians of Quebec, Dr.D Dominique Hana.
“It will prevent consultations that would be less useful,” said the Dr Olive. Physicians who refer their patients to a dermatologist will be able to get a quick diagnosis online, based on photos sent over a secure network, and then access advice from their colleagues for treating a multitude of skin problems in their patients.
According to Minister Dubé, of the 700,000 patients on a waiting list in Quebec, no less than 80,000 are waiting for dermatological care. Urgent and semi-urgent cases are processed in “a few weeks”, but the wait can stretch from three months to a year, depending on the region, in cases deemed non-urgent.
Quebec is thus following in the footsteps of countries where teledermatology would have made it possible to treat 50% to 75% of patients without an in-person consultation being required, affirms the representative of dermatologists. “It’s a giant step. A few photos are often enough to make a diagnosis. […] The general practitioner will receive a report within 7 to 14 days,” explained Dr.D Hanna, who sees in this project the culmination of 10 years of work.
First step
Membership of this new platform will be voluntary, both for patients and doctors. If necessary, the online consultation can be followed by an appointment in person with the dermatologist. Patients who refuse telemedicine can still be seen by a dermatologist in person, however at the cost of a few months of waiting.
According to the DD Hanna, this way of doing things will speed up the care of the majority of patients, but will also make life easier for many of them, in particular seniors living in CHSLDs, people with disabilities and those living in prison.
If dermatology lends itself perfectly to a deployment in telemedicine, other specialties such as neurology and psychiatry could also soon follow, indicated the Dr Vincent Olive.
“The more fundamental question is how do we manage all these patients who do not need to be seen by a specialist doctor. This is in line with our work on the relevance of medical acts, ”he added. The new platform was financed thanks to the funds recovered during the work carried out by the Institute for the relevance of medical acts.
Upcoming talks
Minister Dubé brandished this project as a perfect example of his “Health Plan” aimed at improving the “customer experience”, particularly through technology. Asked about its cost, the minister indicated that the development of the platform had cost only one million dollars. He was more vague on the remuneration of doctors, saying that discussions on this subject remained to be settled.
The Dr Marc-André Amyot, president of the Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec, also sees this shift in a good light. “We are therefore talking about a promising new way of doing things that will undoubtedly allow many Quebecers to have quick and timely access to essential specialized services. »