In February 2024, a 17-year-old uninsured patient suffering from tender, swollen joints visited Dr. Susan Fernandes, a pediatrician at Vecino Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Houston. The family had recently lost Medicaid and was in the process of obtaining private insurance.
The lack of insurance made it nearly impossible for the patient to see a rheumatologist, and even with insurance, the wait times ranged from 6 to 12 months. Dr. Fernandes, recognizing the urgency and complexity of the situation, turned to PicassoMD for assistance. Pediatricians don’t often handle rheumatology cases, and Dr. Fernandes sought the expertise of a specialist for real-time clinical decision support.
Dr. Fernandes initiated a PicassoMD curbside consultation with Dr. Sharon Dowell, sharing the patient's symptoms and exam results. Dr. Dowell recommended a series of lab tests and imaging studies which Dr. Fernandes should consider during her evaluation. Based on these findings, Dr. Fernandes was able to re-engage with Dr. Dowel to attain feedback on potential treatment options while the patient was waiting to be formally evaluated by rheumatology.
Without PicassoMD, Dr. Fernandes would have likely referred the patient to the ER, an outcome that would have been less efficient, stressful, and more costly for the family. The real-time specialist clinical decision support provided by PicassoMD gave Dr. Fernandes the confidence to deliver immediate relief to her patient.
Reflecting on her experience with PicassoMD, Dr. Fernandes shared, "Having access to PicassoMD curbsides has been transformative for my practice. It allows me to provide specialized care swiftly and confidently, ensuring my patients get the best possible outcomes. The ability to receive input from specialists in real-time has been invaluable, particularly for complex cases like this."
In her first four months on the PicassoMD platform, Dr. Fernandes has leveraged curbsides dozens of times, primarily for dermatology patients who, despite having insurance, were facing wait times of at least a year for appointments. PicassoMD has helped to bridge the gap in access to specialized care and empowered Dr. Fernandes to deliver timely and effective treatment, significantly improving patient outcomes