Q & A

In simple terms it is an internet based remote patient-doctor appointment.   It is very useful in treating patients who are remotely located

History of Online Consultations via telemedicine:-

• Telemedicine is defined by the World Health Organization as the use of communication technologies in healthcare for the exchange of medical information for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, research, evaluation, and education over a distance.
• Telemedicine is not new in that doctors have been sending copies of images to specialist centers for diagnostic procedures, confirmation of diagnosis etc. since 1905 with the long-distance transfer of electrocardiograms.
• Radio consultations from medical centers in Norway, Italy, and France in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s were conducted for patients aboard ships at sea and living on remote islands.
• Prior to the advent of the internet, telemedicine relied on closed-circuit TV links, two-way microwave audio/video links and satellite links.
• It has been used by hospitals, NASA, and in various government, projects to provide medical services to various remote regions throughout the world.

Within the field of dermatology:-

• Telemedicine has been in use in the field of dermatology for over two decades.
• It has been extensively trialled and now has been adopted as an efficient and effective healthcare service compared to “face to face” consultations.
• Dermatologists use the term teledermatology.

The Benefits of Teledermatology:-

• Reduces patients’ travel time and waiting time,
• Avoids (unnecessary) dermatologic visits, and
• Improves access to care to patients who do not have access to dermatologists, live in remote regions or who have travel restrictions or difficulties.

It is strongly suggested that people with rapidly progressing Vitiligo or who have extensive Vitiligo spots or patches have an Online Email Consultation. In having an Online Email Consultation, you are accessing the expertise of our Collaborating Professors and our Consulting Practitioners.

When you elect to have an Online Email Consultation you will receive a personalized Treatment Plan. We understand that each and every one of our patients is unique. You, each and everyone, have different triggers and each of you will respond to your treatment is a different way.

Those that elect to have an Online Consultation will have access to the “code protected” Online Store where we have a number of oral medications that will not be available in the general Online Store. From the code protected Online Store you will not only be able to order the Vitiligo.Clinic^® products but you will also be able to order the additional oral products that will have been prescribed for you by the Consulting Practitioner.

• The visual aspect of dermatology makes it well-suited for photography and online media such as Skype.
• The colors of the skin and visual presentation and distribution of skin lesions provide key indicators and clues which enable accurate diagnoses of lesions and rashes.
• Teledermatology has proven to be comparable in accuracy rates to “in person” or “face to face” conventional consultations.

However, should the Consulting Practitioner consider the possibility of another skin condition being the cause of the white spots, patches e.g. a fungal infection, then the consulting Practitioner may refer you to see your healthcare practitioner.

The Online Consultation is a combination of four steps: –

1. Payment for the Consultation is required prior to final submission of Form and Photographs.
2. You must complete an extensive Online Consultation Form. (this is step by step process and will take approximately 15-20 minutes)
3. You must submit a good resolution (visually clear) .jpeg photographs – 5MB maximum size per photograph. If taking photographs from a mobile phone, it is suggested to use an app such as “Resizer” to resize images to the correct resolution. Cameras usually have settings which allow photographs taken in the correct resolution.
4. The Consulting Practitioner will assess all of your information and photographs, should additional information be required the Consulting Practitioner will email you with specific questions. If the Consulting Practitioner has enough information then a detailed report and treatment plan will be emailed to you together with your prescribed product list. This email will be sent to you within 5 working days from receipt of the Form.
5. If you would like to proceed with the suggested treatment send us an email or call with your payment details and we will process your order. (Given these products are practitioner only we cannot process online)
6. The Vitiligo.Clinic^® will process your order within 1 working day. Postage/delivery may take up to 14 days depending upon your location or country of residence.

Please note: If the consulting practitioner feels that the photographs are not clear enough then he/she may request that you send additional photographs. They may also recommend that you visit your local health care practitioner or even a dermatologist for further testing or even diagnosis confirmation. If this occurs you will not receive a refund even if you a referred to visit a dermatologist face-to-face.

By completing the Online Consultation Form you are providing important information to the Consulting Practitioner so that they can assess your condition, identify your triggers and personalize your treatment.

The form is extensive and is critical to the Online Email Consulting process. The questions and details that you are asked to complete are the questions that a Consulting Practitioner would put to you in a “Face to Face” Consultation.

The costs involved are:-

• Initial Online Consultation (email):- $40.00 AUD
• The cost of the product and postage (advised via the detailed report).
• Review Consultations at $20.00 AUD per review (Review Consultations would be suggested when the Consulting Practitioner outlines your treatment plan).

Because the consultation is being conducted via email, Vitiligo.Clinic^® is able to reduce the cost to a minimum fee.

The ability to keep this fee to a minimum depends solely on you completing the extensive Online Consultation Form with as much detail and accuracy as possible.

Depending upon where and in which country the patient lives; allow up to 14 days for delivery of your treatment products.

Read all necessary instructions and conduct the patch test.

If no reactions occur commence the treatment plan as advised by the consulting practitioner.

It is suggested that you send Review photographs after 8 weeks of treatment so that the Consulting Practitioner can review your progress and re-assess your treatment plan. The cost of this review is $20.00 AUD.

Of course, if you have any questions or concerns at any time you can contact the clinic via the “Contact Us” facility or if you have had an Online Email Consultation please click on the Online Consultation Tab and select support.

The treatment for Vitiligo is aimed at stimulating re-pigmentation and this process may vary patient by patient. For this reason, it is recommended that you have a Review Consultation at the 8-week mark.

The Practitioner may decide to adjust your treatment plan.

If you would like to have your progress reviewed after 8 weeks of treatment then email new photographs to us on consult@vitiligo.clinic with the Identification Number stipulated on your Detailed Email Report.

The Consulting Practitioner in your Detailed Email Report may also suggest a review schedule.

If you wish to have your dermatologist monitor your progress or combine the Vitiligo.Clinic^® treatment with mainstream treatment then we are only too happy to collaborate with him/her.

All you would need to do is to send us your Dermatologists details and a “Release of Information Authority” to us and we will provide to your Dermatologists information regarding your treatment plan.

The products which are available for purchase are manufactured by Michael Tirant Dermaceuticals (MTD); a company owned by Prof. Michael Tirant and as such can be covered under warranty and insurance.

Any product such as the UVB Lamp is not manufactured by Michael Tirant Dermaceuticals and as such the purchase of these items must be done by you, the patient, so that you will then be covered by the warranties provided by the supplying manufacturer.  (We can suggest a supplier of UVB lamp if you are interested – contact us at info@vitiligo.clinic)

If you do not wish to purchase this item you may instead elect to arrange for UV treatment with your healthcare Practitioner or Dermatologist.

Australia, like many other countries, have very strict Privacy Laws, especially for medical records. So we take the privacy of our patients very seriously and we maintain confidentiality at all times.

In compliance with the Australian Government Privacy Laws, all medical records are stored in a login secured computer server. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to ensure the protection of personal information. No patient information is supplied to a third party without the patient’s signed authorization.

Also, refer to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more information.

You understand that in submitting the Online Consultation Form you have given your consent for depersonalized photographs to be released by the Vitiligo.Clinic^® specifically including, but not limited to, the following purposes:

1. Examination, testing, credentialing and/or certifying purposes by the Vitiligo.Clinic^® for consultation purposes.
2. Patient examples in printed materials, visual or electronic media, internet websites, direct mailings, brochures, etc. to be viewed by prospective patients.
3. Use in advertising including, but not limited to, printed materials, visual or electronic media, internet websites, direct mailings, brochures, etc.
4. Educational seminars, scientific meetings, or published papers in both the scientific literature and other media.

And you understand that you have accepted that neither you nor any member of your family, would be identified by name in any publication and that the photographs will be depersonalized so as to make identification impossible. It should be noted that private body areas would never be used.

However, if you are not comfortable for any of your photographs, regardless of whether they are depersonalized or not to be used, you can request that your photographs be identified as “Not to be Used”

We will respect your wishes on this matter.

You would need to, at the time of Form submission specify that YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE USED … and you would need to specify whether this applies to point 2, 3 & 4 as detailed above or whether if refers only to one or two of the points. If it refers to only one or two of the points please state which ones … e.g. 2 and 3. You would need place this information in the “Any Other Comments” section.