ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has limited in-person consultations and disturbed easy health care access. Teledermatology (Td) is used to provide services in such situations. Objective: To find the pattern and barriers of Td during the COVID-19 pandemic in resource-limited settings. Methods: An online survey focused on dermatologists and residents in dermatology in Nepal was conducted. The online form with the prepared questionnaire was sent to the potential participants. Results: A total of 86 responses were received, with 60% response rate. Approximately 62.8% (n = 54) of the participants were involved in COVID-19 care. The most common method used was a store-and-forward technique. Approximately 90% of the participants used smartphones for Td, and Viber was the most commonly used application. The straightforward diagnoses in Td were fungal infections, acne, alopecia, pyoderma, and viral infections. The common barriers were poor image quality, inability for further test, and unsuitability for all patients. The majority of the participants believed that there is a need for guidelines for Td. Limitations: A small sample size and associated technical difficulties. Conclusion: Td has proven to be an excellent tool; however, it may never replace the in-person consultation. A newer guideline must be prepared to regulate Td in the future.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Teledermatology (TD) has emerged as a critical way of delivering care remotely in the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review to assess how TD has been implemented worldwide. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for articles on the use of TD for patient care, written in English and published from December 1, 2019, to October 15, 2020. RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies were included, involving 16,981 patients. There was significant uptake of TD during the pandemic. Synchronous TD appeared to be more commonly implemented than asynchronous TD. Common ambulatory dermatoses such as acne or eczema were reported to be more amenable to TD assessment and management. TD also appeared to be useful for the diagnosis of cutaneous involvement of COVID-19 infection and follow-up of stable oncodermatology cases. LIMITATIONS: A pooled analysis of all relevant outcomes was not always possible due to the heterogeneity in the methodologies of included studies. CONCLUSION: TD is a useful and convenient tool for the management of common ambulatory dermatoses in the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred healthcare systems across the world to rapidly redesign their models of care delivery. As such, this pandemic has accelerated the adoption of teledermatology in the United States. However, it remains unknown whether this momentum will be maintained after the pandemic. The future of teledermatology in the United States will be significantly influenced by a complex set of policy, legal, and regulatory frameworks. An understanding of these frameworks will help dermatologists more effectively adopt and implement teledermatology platforms. In this article, we review the current state of teledermatology in the United States, including policy dimensions, the regulatory landscape, market characteristics, and future directions.