Teledermatology By Whatsapp In Valencia: Characteristics Of Remote Consultation And Its Emotional Impact On The Dermatologist

Background: WhatsApp is a preferred method of remote consultation for patients. However, the tack a legal framework for this type of patient-physician contact or the inappropriate use of the application can have negative emotional effects on the dermatologist.Objectives: To determine the basic characteristics of WhatsApp consultations, quantify the time spent on them, and assess the emotional impact on the dermatologist.Material and methods: Retrospective, descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study of responses to a 43-item online survey sent to 275 dermatologists who were members of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV) working in the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia.Results: A total of 128 dermatologists (46.6%) responded. All reported that they used WhatsApp or Telegram; 93% received consultations by this means and 88.3% responded to the messages. Acute inflammatory conditions, usually requiring medication, accounted for 74.1% of the messages. Nearly a third of the consultations required a visit with the dermatologist.The respondents thought that patients used this means of consultation because they felt at ease with the dermatologist, the app was a convenient tool, and they received quick responses. Thirty-one percent of the dermatologists reported that WhatsApp consultations had a negative emotional impact on them, and 82.3% would prefer not to receive these messages.Conclusions: WhatsApp consultation should be regulated. Few studies have looked at this type of consultation and many questions remain to be answered. (C) 2020 AEDV. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U.