• Hannah Lynch of the National Psoriasis Foundation recently spoke at Telehealth Awareness Week’s “The Virtual Patient Perspective” webinar.
• Lynch noted several benefits of telemedicine for those with psoriatic disease, including the convenience of care and access to multiple specialists.
• She also identified some challenges associated with telehealth, including privacy concerns and discomfort with sharing images of symptoms over the internet.

Advances in telehealth have made it easier for people with conditions including psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis to virtually engage with health care providers for diagnoses and treatment guidance. A recent panel discussion among health care and industry professionals explored telemedicine’s role in health care accessibility and satisfaction — as well as the challenges posed by remote health care.

During the Sept. 24 panel discussion, Hannah Lynch — associate director of federal government relations and health policy at the National Psoriasis Foundation — homed in on the benefits and challenges of telehealth for individuals with psoriatic disease. The discussion, titled “The Virtual Patient Perspective,” was hosted by the American Telemedicine Association as part of Telehealth Awareness Week.

Access to Multiple Specialists

According to Lynch, access to telehealth has given individuals with psoriatic disease the opportunity to have their condition treated holistically. Individuals can, for instance, see a number of different providers — including dermatologists, rheumatologists, and even mental health care providers — without taking a lot of time off or work or having to prioritize one aspect of their health over another to fit in different appointments.

“We’ve heard very positive feedback from both our patient and provider community,” she said.

For those with psoriatic arthritis, the national rheumatologist shortage has been of major concern. “These telehealth appointments have allowed folks that have been on waiting lists to have another opportunity to see these specialists (and) treat their psoriatic arthritis,” Lynch said.

Telemedicine can make regular check-ins even more convenient for those who have already been diagnosed or established care with a provider, she noted.

Privacy Considerations

Lynch also discussed some of the challenges people living with psoriasis face in using telemedicine for care. “For folks that have psoriasis outbreaks on their skin, depending on what area the outbreak is located, that can make it very, very difficult for them to put it into the camera,” she said. Those with genital psoriasis, for instance, may have difficulty or feel uncomfortable with showing outbreaks over a webcam.

Lynch did note, however, that “depending on what type of telemedicine service they use, you can have the option to submit photos ahead of time.” However, she noted that patient privacy and comfort were of the utmost concern in these cases.

Future of Telehealth

Ultimately, Lynch and the National Psoriasis Foundation’s outlook on the future of telemedicine is positive: “I think that telehealth is here to stay, and we’re really excited about framing the conversation to make sure that the patient voice is considered,” she said.