At Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, the use of Google Glass to consult with patients about dermatological issues was warmly received, as evidenced by high patient satisfaction scores. What's more, the use of such a device could help reduce emergency room wait times, according to a study in JAMA Dermatology.
Researchers equipped ER physicians with a Google Glass device, which allowed them to connect with a dermatology resident. Patients that presented a dermatology related issue first underwent a traditional dermatology consultation and then were separately evaluated by a dermatologist via Google Glass. Following the two consultations, patients completed a survey on attitudes and beliefs regarding their experience.
The survey indicated an overall majority (93.5 percent) of patient satisfaction with the video consultation. Nearly one-fifth (22.6 percent) of patients said they preferred the teledermatology consult to the standard face-to-face visit, and 74.2 percent said they preferred the teledermatology to a telephone consultation.
Additionally, nearly all (96.8 percent) of respondents said they were comfortable that privacy was protected during the video consult, and another 96.8 percent said they were confident in the video equipment used.
"This study demonstrates that Glass is a feasible and acceptable platform for real-time ED teledermatology," researchers concluded.
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