Palliative care utilization in calciphylaxis: a single-center retrospective review of 121 patients (1999-2016).

BACKGROUND: Calciphylaxis is a debilitating dermatological condition associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Palliative care offers a multidisciplinary approach to addressing symptoms and goals of care in patients with serious medical diagnoses. Involvement of palliative services for calciphylaxis is infrequently reported in the literature. The purpose of this report is to assess rates of palliative and pain consultation for patients with calciphylaxis. METHODS: This is a comprehensive, single-institution retrospective chart review of 121 eligible patients with a diagnosis of calciphylaxis treated at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from 1999 to 2016. Inclusion criteria were an indisputable diagnosis of calciphylaxis based on clinical, histopathologic, and radiographic features. One hundred twenty-one patients met inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients (42%) received either a palliative (n = 15) or pain (n = 20) consultation, or both (n = 16). Patients with a palliative care consultation were younger compared with those without (mean ages 57 vs. 62 years, P = 0.046). In 104 patients (86%), psychiatric symptoms were not assessed. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of patients with calciphylaxis, the majority do not receive palliative and pain care consultations. Psychiatric complications are inconsistently addressed. These observations highlight practice gaps in the care of patients with calciphylaxis.

Smartphones Enable Teledermatology in South Dakota: An Overview and Primer for Primary Care Providers.

Timely access to specialty care by dermatologists is a significant problem in South Dakota. This is especially germane to patients in rural areas, the elderly, and those with socioeconomic barriers. Implementation of a modality utilizing smartphone technology called mobile teledermatology (MTD) should improve access to dermatologic care. MTD provides location- and time-independent dermatologic care and is currently being used successfully across the U.S. MTD has the potential to benefit both patients and providers in South Dakota; however, barriers to its implementation currently exist. Expanding insurance coverage and reimbursement for teledermatology, facilitating multi-state telemedicine licensure, and educating primary care providers and patients about teledermatology would facilitate widespread utilization of teledermatology in South Dakota. Current legislation addressing licensure may soon come to fruition, making it easier for dermatologists to practice teledermatology across state lines. In addition to pay-for-service, Medicaid is currently the only insurer in South Dakota that reimburses for store-and-forward teledermatology. We propose MTD as an apt solution for enabling prompt access to dermatologic care in South Dakota and emphasize the need for greater insurance coverage, improved licensure policy, and user education to fully realize the benefits of this technology for our patients.