CellulitisNCT03036358
Effect of Teledermatology on Length of Hospital Admission, Length of Stay, 30 Day Readmission Rate, and Antibiotic Use in Patients Presenting With Cellulitis vs Pseudocellulitis in an Academic ED Setting
A study testing teledermatology consult and Routine Care in people with Cellulitis, run by Ohio State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The effect of teledermatology on length of hospital admission, length of stay, 30 day readmission rate, and antibiotic use in patients presenting with cellulitis vs pseudocellulitis in an academic emergency department setting. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Cellulitis
- What is being tested?
- teledermatology consult and Routine Care
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Jan 2016to Jan 2018
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Over 18
- Present to the ED with cellulitis-like symptoms, including but not limited to the following: tenderness, redness, swelling, expansive lesion
Who cannot join
- pregnant
- prisoner
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Columbus, Ohio, 43210
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Teledermatology on Length of Hospital Admission, Length of Stay, 30 Day Readmission Rate, and Antibiotic Use in Patients Presenting With Cellulitis vs Pseudocellulitis in an Academic Emergency Department Setting.
The effect of teledermatology on length of hospital admission, length of stay, 30 day readmission rate, and antibiotic use in patients presenting with cellulitis vs pseudocellulitis in an academic emergency department setting.
Read the detailed description
The Investigator hope to determine if the implementation of teledermatology in the emergency department (ED) at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is beneficial in diagnosing cases of cellulitis and pseudocellulitis conditions. Prior studies have indicated that misdiagnosis may occur in up to 28% of patients in the ED with these conditions. Additionally, dermatological consults have been shown to change diagnosis or management of these conditions in more than 60% of the patients examined. Without the use of teledermatology, however, a dermatological consult would be prohibitively expensive and take time to obtain. The investigator proposes that by utilizing teledermatology in emergency rooms, the investigator can make faster, yet just as accurate, dermatological diagnoses in patients presenting with cellulitis-like symptoms. Subsequently, by reducing the number of misdiagnoses, unnecessary use of antibiotics and hospitalizations will also decrease, lowering health care costs and simultaneously providing patients with faster treatment of the actual dermatologic condition.
- Conditions
- Cellulitis
- Being tested
- teledermatology consult, Routine Care
- Medical subject headings
- Cellulitis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
teledermatology consultOther
Information from the dermatologic assessment will be entered into the patients chart.
Routine CareOther
The dermatologic assessment will occur but not added to the patients medical record. Dermatology may still be consulted but will be at the prerogative of the treating hospitalist.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Teledermatology consult | Other | To determine the benefit of teledermatology to differentiate cellulitis from pseudocellulitis in emergency departments through the analysis of time spent in the emergency department (ED), admission to the inpatient hospital, antibiotic use, time to improvement, and 30-day remission rate. This arm will undergo imaging, a dermatologic assessment will be performed, AND this assessment will be entered into the patients chart. Receives: Other: teledermatology consult |
| Routine Care | Other | To determine the benefit of teledermatology to differentiate cellulitis from pseudocellulitis in emergency departments through the analysis of time spent in the emergency department (ED), admission to the inpatient hospital, antibiotic use, time to improvement, and 30-day remission rate. This arm will undergo imaging, a dermatologic assessment will be performed, AND this assessment WILL NOT be entered into the patients chart Receives: Other: Routine Care |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Admission to the hospital
To determine the benefit of teledermatology to differentiate cellulitis from pseudocellulitis in emergency departments through the analysis of time spent in the emergency department (ED), admission to the inpatient hospital, antibiotic use, time to improvement, We anticipate a high rate of pseudocellulitis, and this aim will determine if there is a difference in patient admissions among those who receive a dermatologic assessment
Measured: 30 days
Secondary outcomes (3)
Length of stay in the hospital
Will assess time spent in the hospital for those that were admitted
Measured: 30 days post admission
30 day readmission rate
Will assess hospitalization/emergency department readmission in the following 30 days
Measured: 30 days post admission
Antibiotic use
Will assess the frequency of antibiotic use between groups
Measured: 30 days post admission
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Jan 2017 (estimated)
- Study startJan 2016
- Primary completionJan 2018
- Study completionJan 2018
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for CellulitisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Ohio State UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Ohio State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ben H Kaffenberger, Ohio State University
- Investigators
- Benjamin H Kaffenberger, MD, Principal investigator, OSU Dermatology
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03036358
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2015H0134
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 4 Jun 2016
- Last updated
- 6 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Teledermatology on Length of Hospital Admission, Length of Stay, 30 Day Readmission Rate, and Antibiotic Use in Patients Presenting With Cellulitis vs Pseudocellulitis in an Academic Emergency Department Setting.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03036358
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2015H0134
- Conditions
- Cellulitis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Ohio State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Jan 2016 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Jan 2018 (actual)
- Study completion
- Jan 2018 (actual)
- First posted
- 30 Jan 2017 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The effect of teledermatology on length of hospital admission, length of stay, 30 day readmission rate, and antibiotic use in patients presenting with cellulitis vs pseudocellulitis in an academic emergency department setting.
Detailed description
The Investigator hope to determine if the implementation of teledermatology in the emergency department (ED) at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is beneficial in diagnosing cases of cellulitis and pseudocellulitis conditions. Prior studies have indicated that misdiagnosis may occur in up to 28% of patients in the ED with these conditions. Additionally, dermatological consults have been shown to change diagnosis or management of these conditions in more than 60% of the patients examined. Without the use of teledermatology, however, a dermatological consult would be prohibitively expensive and take time to obtain. The investigator proposes that by utilizing teledermatology in emergency rooms, the investigator can make faster, yet just as accurate, dermatological diagnoses in patients presenting with cellulitis-like symptoms. Subsequently, by reducing the number of misdiagnoses, unnecessary use of antibiotics and hospitalizations will also decrease, lowering health care costs and simultaneously providing patients with faster treatment of the actual dermatologic condition.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Teledermatology consult | Other | Other: teledermatology consultTo determine the benefit of teledermatology to differentiate cellulitis from pseudocellulitis in emergency departments through the analysis of time spent in the emergency department (ED), admission to the inpatient hospital, antibiotic use, time to improvement, and 30-day remission rate. This arm will undergo imaging, a dermatologic assessment will be performed, AND this assessment will be entered into the patients chart. |
| Routine Care | Other | Other: Routine CareTo determine the benefit of teledermatology to differentiate cellulitis from pseudocellulitis in emergency departments through the analysis of time spent in the emergency department (ED), admission to the inpatient hospital, antibiotic use, time to improvement, and 30-day remission rate. This arm will undergo imaging, a dermatologic assessment will be performed, AND this assessment WILL NOT be entered into the patients chart |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Over 18
- Present to the ED with cellulitis-like symptoms, including but not limited to the following: tenderness, redness, swelling, expansive lesion
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- pregnant
- prisoner
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| teledermatology consultInformation from the dermatologic assessment will be entered into the patients chart. | Other | Teledermatology consult |
| Routine CareThe dermatologic assessment will occur but not added to the patients medical record. Dermatology may still be consulted but will be at the prerogative of the treating hospitalist. | Other | Routine Care |
Primary outcome
Admission to the hospital
Time frame: 30 days
To determine the benefit of teledermatology to differentiate cellulitis from pseudocellulitis in emergency departments through the analysis of time spent in the emergency department (ED), admission to the inpatient hospital, antibiotic use, time to improvement, We anticipate a high rate of pseudocellulitis, and this aim will determine if there is a difference in patient admissions among those who receive a dermatologic assessment
3 secondary outcomes
Length of stay in the hospital
Time frame: 30 days post admission
30 day readmission rate
Time frame: 30 days post admission
Antibiotic use
Time frame: 30 days post admission
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 6 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Benjamin H Kaffenberger, MD principal investigator
OSU Dermatology
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing teledermatology consult and Routine Care in people with Cellulitis, run by Ohio State University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Admission to the hospital (time frame: 30 days). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Apr 2026.