Summary
Dr Maria Konstantopoulou is a hardworking doctor who goes above and beyond to help Ormskirk and District General Hospital’s dermatology department. Since becoming clinical director, she has improved services to provide better patient care. She is also the phototherapy/patch test lead, providing services to patients with complex needs locally and regionally. She has successfully introduced teledermatology services and made a significant positive impact on the timely assessment and management of patients with suspected skin cancers by reducing waiting times and promoting efficient treatment provision. Despite a heavy workload, she is always available to help and support the department.
Method
Dr Konstantopoulou is a very experienced dermatologist with extensive knowledge of teledermatology, gained in previous hospitals. She successfully introduced this service to Ormskirk and District General Hospital. She worked closely with stakeholders locally and regionally to implement the service, which has been running for a few months. She investigated how it could be made available, including establishing what IT support was needed and the inclusion/exclusion criteria for the service. She worked with team members and had regular meetings to provide updates and guidance to ensure it would run efficiently.
Results
The service runs successfully and is reviewed regularly to make improvements, based on feedback. It has reduced waiting times for patients to see secondary care dermatologists for suspected skin cancers and has provided efficient care. Patients are booked in directly for surgical procedures requiring intervention or clinic review, depending on the outcome of the teledermatology review. Feedback has been positive, with patients acknowledging the timely review and treatment provided, resulting in overall patient and team satisfaction.
Sustainability and Spread
The project was initially trialled for three months, but has been extended to a year, following regular reviews and positive overall outcome. The aim is to continue the service beyond that.
Dermatology Team of the Year
Dr Maria Konstantopoulou – Ormskirk and District General Hospital
