Iagnosis, a leading developer of telemedicine solutions and the creator of DermatologistOnCall®, today announced a partnership with the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) to offer accessible teledermatology care options for patients needing treatment for psoriasis.

Image/Hans Braxmeier
Image/Hans Braxmeier

NPF reports that more than 8 million Americans are affected by psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes raised, red, scaly patches to appear on the skin. In addition, up to 30 percent of those with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling of the joints. But according to a 2013 study by Harris Williams & Co., fewer than 30% of visits for medical dermatology complaints are seen by dermatologists, largely due to access to and availability of dermatologists.

Through this partnership, the NPF Patient Navigation Center, which provides personalized service to patients managing the range of issues related to psoriatic disease, will now be able to offer patients the opportunity to utilize DermatologistOnCall®, an online network of U.S.-based dermatology specialists available to diagnose and treat patients for thousands of skin, hair and nail conditions.

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“Psoriasis patients often struggle to treat their disease. Whether it be finding a dermatologist in their city or state that understands how to best treat the disease, or getting an appointment with that doctor, accessing care can be very challenging,” said Randy Beranek, president and CEO of the National Psoriasis Foundation. “We’re excited about this partnership as it enables us to offer patients yet another option for getting the right diagnosis and appropriate treatment for their disease.”

Patients who contact the NPF Patient Navigation Center will be offered a special rate to use DermatologistOnCall®. They can then start an online visit either by going to the DermatologistOnCall® website or using the mobile app available on the App Store, Google Play™, or Amazon Fire. Each patient completes a secure profile that includes medical background, information about their current condition, and photo uploads of their affected skin. Patients receive care only from a provider licensed in their state, and they can select a specific provider based on criteria including psoriasis treatment specialization. The care provider reviews their case and then delivers a diagnosis and personalized treatment plan including any prescriptions, typically within 24 hours.

“Psoriasis can have a profound physical and emotional impact on a patient’s quality of life. Direct-to-patient teledermatology is yet another tool that dermatologists can employ and offer to patients which can aid in the support and management for this chronic autoimmune disease,” said Mark P. Seraly, MD, founder and chief medical officer of Iagnosis and practicing board-certified dermatologist. “The partnership with the National Psoriasis Foundation is going to significantly help expand the success of using teledermatology solutions to get more psoriasis patients proper medical treatment.”

Online dermatology visits conducted on the Iagnosis-powered solution are 100 percent HIPAA and HITECH compliant for patient information security. Prescriptions written as a result of the teledermatology consult can be submitted using Surescripts® electronic transmission to the patient’s preferred pharmacy in the area.

The patient pays an out of pocket visit fee using any major credit card. Patients can also use provided forms to obtain reimbursement from their Health Spending Account (HSA), Health Reimbursement Account (HRA), or Flexible Spending Account (FSA).