| چکیده انگلیسی مقاله |
Abstract: Background: The data of patients with dermatological diseases encompass a wide array of texts and visual findings. Accordingly, the unstructured and unorganized patients’ documents usually hinder physicians to fully review the previous information in follow-up visits; therefore, it might adversely affect their clinical judgment. Another concern is the tendency among some patients to refer to multiple dermatologists without notifying them about former work-ups and prescribed medications. This attitude adds to the financial burdens and workload posed on the healthcare system. Unlike internal or surgical fields, the diagnosis and therapeutic plan for a considerable number of dermatologic patients can be decided based on their available data without requiring their presence. This further highlights the great potential for telemedicine in dermatology. As a result, we aimed to design a unique dermatologic EMR system. Materials and Methods: In the first step, an expert panel consisting of six attending dermatologists, two general physicians, and a health informatician (all members affiliated with the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran) reviewed related references to determine the appropriate items and standard formats for data entry. These included dermatological textbooks, the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) for medical, surgical, and diagnostic procedures. Subsequently, the structure of data registry was discussed during several brainstorming sessions and refined by the panel over an eight-month period. Results: The items, format, and steps of data entry were finalized by the panel. Following the completion of descriptive parameters, i.e. demographics, clinical characteristics, past history, and medication history, patients’ images including close-up photos of lesions obtained in the clinic, as well as the digital magnified dermoscopy photos can be attached to each patient’s profile. Finally, the treatment and follow-up plan will be recorded. In the next phase of the project, the designed structure will be applied in developing a cloud EMR software. Conclusion: This structured reporting digital system helps dermatologists to efficiently and confidently track the management course of their patients. Also, it allows for the implementation of telemedicine in this field of practice. Thus, patients can benefit from the expertise of dermatologists without making long-distance commutes, particularly if they live in underprivileged remote areas. Moreover, the feasibility of access to a wide-ranging and diverse database of dermatologic patients gathered in a single platform can serve educational and research purposes. In addition, with the advancement of artificial intelligence, especially deep learning via NLP and image classification, the valuable database of images can be used for designing computer-assisted decision-making system and facilitate the diagnosis of challenging dermatological disorders even for the less-experienced physicians in primary care level. |
