Comparative effectiveness study of face-to-face and teledermatology workflows for diagnosing skin cancer.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness and value of teledermatology and face-to-face workflows for diagnosing lesions are not adequately understood. OBJECTIVE: We compared the risks of biopsy and cancer diagnosis among 2 face-to-face workflows (direct referral and roving dermatologist) and 4 teledermatology workflows. METHODS: Retrospective study of 59,279 primary care patients presenting with a lesion from January through June 2017. RESULTS: One teledermatology workflow achieved high-resolution images with use of a dermatoscope-fitted digital camera, a picture archiving and communication system, and image retrieval to a large computer monitor (in contrast to a smartphone screen). Compared with direct referral, this workflow was associated with a 9% greater probability of cancer detection (95% confidence interval [CI], 2%-16%), a 4% lower probability of biopsy (relative risk, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93-0.99), and 39% fewer face-to-face visits (relative risk, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.57-0.65). Other workflows were less effective. LIMITATIONS: Differing proficiencies across teledermatology workflows and selection of patients for direct referral could have caused bias. CONCLUSION: Implementation is critical to the effectiveness of teledermatology.

Association of teledermatology workflows with standardising co-management of rashes by primary care physicians and dermatologists.

INTRODUCTION: For patients with a rash, the effect of teledermatology workflow on utilization has not been defined. We compared utilization across four teledermatology workflows in patients with a rash. METHODS: The observational longitudinal cohort study included 28,857 Kaiser Permanente Northern California members with a new rash diagnosis seen in primary care and with dermatology advice obtained using teledermatology. The workflows differed in camera and image quality; who took the picture; how the image was forwarded; and synchronicity and convenience. RESULTS: On average, 23% of patients had a follow-up office visit in dermatology within 90 days of their primary care visit. In multivariable analysis, the four technologies differed substantially in the likelihood of a follow-up dermatology office visit. In contrast, the likelihood was only negligibly related to medical centre or primary care provider. DISCUSSION: Technologies and workflows that offer the mobility of a smartphone with a high level of synchronicity in communication were associated with standardised co-management of rashes.

Comanagement of Rashes by Primary Care Providers and Dermatologists: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: There is a high demand for managing skin disease, and dermatologists are in short supply. OBJECTIVES: To better understand how rashes and other specific skin conditions are co-managed by primary care providers (PCPs) and dermatologists, we estimated the frequency with which PCPs sought consultation with or referral to dermatology and the proportion of patients who had a follow-up dermatology office visit in the following 90 days. DESIGN AND SETTING: The retrospective longitudinal study included 106,459 patients with a skin condition diagnosed by 3,830 PCPs, from January 2017 to March 2017. METHODS: Comprehensive electronic medical record data with generalized linear mixed modeling accounted for patient factors including diagnosis and clustering by medical center and PCP. RESULTS: PCPs escalated 9% of patients to dermatology through consultation or referral, while 5% required a follow-up dermatology office visit within 90 days. Patients with bullous, hair, or pigment conditions or psoriasis were most likely to be escalated. Clustering of escalation and follow-up visits was minimal in relation to medical center (intraclass correlation, 0.04 for both outcomes) or PCP (escalation, intraclass correlation, 0.16; follow-up visits, 0.09). DISCUSSION: Improving primary care education in skin disease and, for certain skin conditions, standardizing approaches to workup, treatment, and escalation may further streamline care and reduce pressure on the dermatologist workforce. CONCLUSION: PCPs managed 91% of rashes without consultation or referral to dermatology, and the frequency of patients scheduled for dermatology office visits after primary care was similar from one PCP to another.

Zinc deficiency.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Zinc plays an essential role in numerous biochemical pathways. Zinc deficiency affects many organ systems, including the integumentary, gastrointestinal, central nervous system, immune, skeletal, and reproductive systems. This article aims to discuss zinc metabolism and highlights a few of the diseases associated with zinc deficiency. RECENT FINDINGS: Zinc deficiency results in dysfunction of both humoral and cell-mediated immunity and increases the susceptibility to infection. Supplementation of zinc has been shown to reduce the incidence of infection as well as cellular damage from increased oxidative stress. Zinc deficiency is also associated with acute and chronic liver disease. Zinc supplementation protects against toxin-induced liver damage and is used as a therapy for hepatic encephalopathy in patients refractory to standard treatment. Zinc deficiency has also been implicated in diarrheal disease, and supplementation has been effective in both prophylaxis and treatment of acute diarrhea. SUMMARY: This article is not meant to review all of the disease states associated with zinc deficiency. Rather, it is an introduction to the influence of the many roles of zinc in the body, with an extensive discussion of the influence of zinc deficiency in selected diseases. Zinc supplementation may be beneficial as an adjunct to treatment of many disease states.

A practical review and update on the management of pruritus sine materia.

Pruritus can be divided into several categories: pruritoceptive, neurogenic, neuropathic, and psychogenic. Neuropathic itch is caused by lesions of afferent neural pathways. Psychogenic itch is secondary to primary psychiatric disorders. Both of these types of pruritus present with no evidence of primary cutaneous lesions. The presentation of both conditions can be confusing and patients with no primary cutaneous lesions can be prematurely diagnosed as having a psychiatric disorder. Treatment of neuropathic and psychogenic pruritus can be divided into pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies. Medications used include topical capsaicin and anesthetic agents, antiepileptic agents, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and atypical antipsychotic agents. Nonpharmacologic therapies such as psychotherapy and hypnosis have been beneficial. Further studies are needed, as most reports of efficacy are not evidence based.

Third-generation lentivirus vectors efficiently transduce and phenotypically modify vascular cells: implications for gene therapy.

Grafting of saphenous vein (SV) conduits into the arterial circulation triggers a number of adaptive pathological changes characterized by progressive medial thickening, neointima formation and accelerated atheroma. Previous studies have shown that modification of vein graft biology is possible by adenovirus (Ad)-mediated gene transfer, although gene expression is transient. Advancement of vascular gene therapy to the clinic is compromised by the lack of safe and efficient vector systems that provide sustained therapeutic gene delivery to the vasculature. Due to inadequacies of both Ad and adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype-2 (AAV-2) systems, we have evaluated gene delivery to endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) using alternate AAV serotypes and a third-generation vesicular stomatis virus glycoprotein-pseudotyped lentiviral system. Transduction of both primary human SV EC and SMC was lower using all alternate AAV serotypes compared to AAV-2. However, transduction of both cell types by lentivirus was efficient even at clinically relevant exposure times (15 min), was without toxicity and was promoter sensitive. Transduction levels at lower doses were further enhanced with the addition of the surfactant Poloxamer-407 (P-407). Direct comparison with Ad and AAV-2 confirmed the unique potential for this system. Moreover, we constructed and overexpressed the therapeutic gene tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3) using lentivirus and demonstrated transgene production comparable to Ad with concomitant blockade of SMC migration and induction of cell death. We have demonstrated for the first time the potential for third-generation lentiviral vectors, but not alternate AAV serotypes, as efficient vascular gene delivery vectors.