Role of patient self-photography in remote rheumatologic care

ABSTRACT

Telemedicine was accelerated in adoption in low to middle-income countries because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Institutions and societies new to this modality released recommendations that extrapolate from Western practices or more developed regions of Asia. Besides cultural differences, many areas do not have similar staffing set up as in the West. Many doctors provide direct to patient telemedicine. Framing telemedicine as part of hybrid care instead of a competitor to in-person care may be key for telemedicine to secure its place in healthcare. We would need to examine workflows that may help us in this endeavor. Infographics is short for information graphics. They are digital tools used to enhance education, improve memory, and comprehension, and develop new communication skills. In pandemic remote care studies, surgeons use infographics to teach patients post op wound care at home. How about medical photography? Medical photography has been used as a prehospital assessment for ER cases. In some dermatology studies, photos are used as a form of triage to avoid unnecessary in-person consults. Orthopedic surgeons use photography to assess post op range of motion. One psoriatic arthritis study incorporated photography as a pre-visit screening with staff members assisting patients. With the advances in personal smartphone technology, is there a role for patients or caregivers themselves to use medical photography in telemedicine? Since many clinics may not have adequate staff members, a simple instruction guide on lighting, framing and technique could be used for patients to take their own photos and then send it to their doctors prior to their telemedicine visit. We take a look at the studies on medical photography and the possibility of incorporating it to our own telemedicine workflow. In addition, we would present out proposal for a mixed method study using a simplified infographic for patients to copy pre-visit.