- This innovative joint telemedicine project also makes it possible to expand the segment of the population with access to dermatological assessment, reducing patient waiting time, and eliminating unnecessary trips to the doctor
- Since the pilot project was launched in September, 2017, more than 80% of medical consultations were resolved digitally and, in cases of a suspicious lesion, dermatologist appointments were given within a week
A total of 9,200 Spanish pharmacies will provide their clients with the possibility of a diagnosis for early detection of melanoma and other skin cancers within a 48-hour period thanks to a groundbreaking telemedicine project developed by Bidafarma and Viamed Santa Ángela de La Cruz Hospital, with Minsait as their technological partner. The solution is already on stream in more than 130 pharmacies in several autonomous regions.
It is the first remote dermatology project in Spain that involves pharmacies, and it will give all establishments linked to Bidafarma, the second largest pharmaceutical cooperative in Spain, the capability of providing digital dermatological consultations in order to carry out a faster, more efficient screening test on suspicious skin lesions.
The platform was built by Onesait Healthcare, the solution developed by Minsait serving all health care and management areas of the healthcare system. Among other products, it provides the necessary technology so that Bidafarma, its members, the dermatologists at the Viamed Santa Ángela de La Cruz Hospital, and any joining specialist from another center, can conduct teleconsultations (i.e. remote consultations) with high-quality medical imaging and fully assured data privacy.
To benefit from the teledermatology service, through the platform, the patient just has to answer a medical questionnaire that the pharmacist sends to the patient. The pharmacist will then send the completed questionnaire along with a series of photographs taken with a dermatoscope to the team of dermatologists. The specialists receive a notification of the teleconsultation and they send the pharmacy a digital assessment which is printed and handed to the patient.
The initiative was carried out after a successful pilot test conducted in September 2017, which included more than 200 consultations and offered patients a medical report issued by at least two specialists at Dermavit Salud, the dermatology service of the Viamed Santa Ángela de La Cruz Hospital.
Additionally, around 80% of the consultations were resolved digitally, and only the remaining 20% of the patients were considered to be cases involving a suspicious lesion. These were therefore referred to a dermatologist for a definitive diagnosis. Finally, 60% of the lesions analyzed turned out to be benign while more than 20% were lesions indicative of skin pre-cancer and cancer.
Reduced waiting times and enhanced diagnosis
The main advantages of the project are the reduction in patient waiting times, the elimination of unnecessary trips to the doctor, the expansion of the segment of the population with access to a dermatological assessment, and the improvement of early diagnosis of skin cancer, both melanoma and non-melanoma.
Moreover, in the case of benign lesions, the diagnosis through teleconsultation has reduced the patients’ uncertainty caused by waiting time. Likewise, it has facilitated the early treatment of lesions suspected of be malignant or pre-malignant.
The advantages are also relevant from an organizational point of view. The difficulties in gaining access to a dermatologist due to waiting lists require the development of a quick, asynchronous teleconsulting system that allows specialists to manage their schedules more efficiently and give priority to doubtful cases or those involving a lesion.
In fact, one of the major goals of the project is to keep a pharmaco-therapeutic history of the patients in the pharmacy in order to enrich their global digital clinical history and reduce any unnecessary in-person consultations in public health systems.
This initiative expands to include agreements between Bidafarma and hospitals from the autonomous regions linked to the cooperative to ensure the participation of experts who will prepare clinical reports using the information submitted by the pharmacies.
About Minsait
Minsait, an Indra company (www.minsait.com), is a leading firm in Digital Transformation Consultancy and Information Technologies in Spain and Latin America. Minsait possesses a high degree of specialization and knowledge of the sector, supported by its high capability to integrate the core world with the digital world, its leadership in innovation and digital transformation, and its flexibility. Thus, it focuses its offering on high-impact value propositions, based on end-to-end solutions, with a remarkable degree of segmentation, which enables it to achieve tangible impacts for its customers in each industry with a transformational focus. Its capabilities and leadership are demonstrated in its product range, under the brand Onesait, and its across-the-board range of services.
About Indra
Indra (www.indracompany.com) is one of the leading global technology and consulting companies and the technological partner for core business operations of its customers world-wide. It is a world leader in providing proprietary solutions in specific segments in Transport and Defense markets, and a leading firm in Digital Transformation Consultancy and Information Technologies in Spain and Latin America through its affiliate Minsait. Its business model is based on a comprehensive range of proprietary products, with an end-to-end, high-value focus and with a high innovation component. In the 2018 financial year, Indra achieved a revenue of €3.104 billion, with 43,000 employees, a local presence in 46 countries and business operations in over 140 countries.
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