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As is the case for virtually all medical providers, dermatologists needed to continue see their patients for both acute and routine care under the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic. We had to learn to swim...or risk sinking. Patient and public safety concerns had to be balanced with the need for accurate diagnoses and effective treatment plans.
To this end, many dermatologists — especially those practicing in areas hardest hit by COVID-19 — have adopted a hybrid model. In-office visits are provided for dermatologic emergencies and procedures that can't wait (eg, high-risk skin cancers, abscesses for incision and drainage). Less acute issues (eg, acne, rosacea, atopic dermatitis, mild or well-controlled psoriasis, and other conditions) are triaged to telemedicine and addressed remotely.
Now, 9 months into this brave new world, what have we learned?
Teledermatology in a Nutshell
Teledermatology can be delivered through synchronous platforms (live video conferencing), store-and-forward (patient or physician-sent images), or a combination.
Some of the main issues posed by more widespread use of this modality include:
Technical constraints, such as poor image resolution, especially for skin cancer screening;
Infrastructure requirements and network connectivity (eg, patient access to high-speed internet, computer or mobile devices with adequate technological capability), which are especially problematic in rural areas and for low-income households;
