In this month’s research article, I share a paper from colleagues at The University of Queensland, the Queensland University of Technology, and their collaborating institutions.
I think this is a quite fascinating paper, and one that is well worth a careful read. The paper explores important aspects of consumer preference and willingness to pay for teledermoscopy services.
We all know how much our lives are digital and digitised, and we all know how much this is happening with health and medicine also. It is inevitable that this trend will continue. And, of course, we now have MBS telehealth items as a core part of GP services. So, it is wise for us all to think about what the implications are for all of us and our patients.
The paper shows that patients want a trained medical professional to check their skin and their spots. They want maximum accuracy and minimal inconvenience and are willing to pay (not very much) for this.
Maybe this is all “obvious”, but I think it is useful to consider how we can make our skin cancer services as simple, efficient and effective as possible, and how we can use technology optimally and maximally in support of the in-person services.
Read the full research paper here.
- Prof David Wilkinson
