Nurse case study: Teledermatology

Kirsty Wilkinson, a Nurse Practitioner in NHS Tayside Health Board, describes how she uses PhotoSAF on the Consultant Connect App to help her patients.

“It is safe, secure and IG compliant, and I can use it to help make decisions about referrals.” Kirsty Wilkinson

Kirsty Wilkinson has been a clinician for 21 years. She works in the Minor Injury Unit at Blairgowrie Community Hospital and uses PhotoSAF on the Consultant Connect App to take pictures of patients’ dermatological issues. Both PhotoSAF and Phone Advice & Guidance from consultants at Ninewells Hospital have been available in this area since September 2018.

Kirsty prefers to use PhotoSAF on the Consultant Connect App as:

“it is safe, secure and IG compliant, and I can use it to help make decisions about referrals.”

Kirsty also commented on how PhotoSAF on the Consultant Connect App has been “used for staff training purposes.” She said that “it was recognised that a staff member’s Steri-Strip techniques could be improved” after “a discussion over a photo of a patient and available techniques used.”

We asked Kirsty to share a recent example of when she used PhotoSAF on the Consultant Connect App to benefit a patient:

A patient who was under Kirsty’s care was suffering from a leg ulcer which was taking a very long time to heal. The patient “felt that the wound was not healing at all at some points.” She had become “very low in mood as the wound was also malodourous.” By taking photos of the condition, “the patient’s progress was tracked.”

How PhotoSAF on the Consultant Connect App helped:

Kirsty explained that “the patient’s wound has now healed.” However, before this, she was able to monitor her patient’s condition (over time). The pictures also allowed the patient to “see the progress even if it was slow.” Using PhotoSAF on the Consultant Connect App in this way really benefitted the patient as Kirsty said it “improved her mental health.” She also explained that using PhotoSAF, “allowed a detailed handover to her team member for holiday cover.”

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