Comparison of teledermatological examinations with conventional office visits in management of acne vulgaris: A review of current literature

Abstract

Acne vulgaris is the most common skin disease in the world, particularly affecting adolescents and young adults. Telemedicine has grown rapidly in the past few years and represents a new simplification in modern medicine. The aim of this literature review is to provide an overview of acne vulgaris in teledermatology and to identify the differences between teledermatological examinations and face‐to‐face consultations. For this purpose, a systematic literature search of the PubMed database was performed, up to the end of 2019. The content of 109 studies matching the keywords acne, acne vulgaris, teledermatology, telehealth, or telemedicine was screened, and 13 studies were systematically reviewed and compared. The analysis of the studies shows that patients living in remote areas benefit greatly from online visits since it is less time consuming and financially favorable, which is also associated with higher patient satisfaction. In addition, the satisfaction of doctors, the main safety concerns of patients, and a brief insight into telemedicine in other specialties are discussed. Taking the results of the different studies into account, the conclusion is that telemedicine is well accepted and often even desired by most patients and will likely become a very important part of modern medicine in the future.

Randomized Open-Label Trial Comparing Teledermatology vs. Face-to-Face Consultation in the Follow-Up of Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Acne

“…Young people are nowadays on average more engaged with technology and the internet than previous generations ( 5 ). This familiarity can positively influence the satisfaction of adolescent patients with teledermatology, since for most of these patients the correct handling of smartphones and telemedicine programs does not involve a big learning effort ( 5 , 8 ). Furthermore, such teledermatological check-ups might save patients’ time and avoid absences either at school or at work ( 5 , 9 ).…”

“…Studies have found that acne vulgaris affects up to 85% of subjects between 12 and 24 years old ( 3 , 4 ) showing significant potential for using new treatment concepts such as telemedicine. Telemedicine transfers the doctor’s consultation into a virtual space ( 5 ). This is done by transmitting pre-prepared questionnaires that the patient has to fill in or by direct communication via video consultation ( 5 , 6 ).…”

“…Telemedicine transfers the doctor’s consultation into a virtual space ( 5 ). This is done by transmitting pre-prepared questionnaires that the patient has to fill in or by direct communication via video consultation ( 5 , 6 ). An essential measure of the functionality of telemedicine is the time spent by the attending physician and the patient.…”

“…An essential measure of the functionality of telemedicine is the time spent by the attending physician and the patient. Optimally, this could be reduced with telemedicine ( 5 , 7 ).…”

Comparison of Pediatric Dermatology Conditions Across Telehealth and In-Person Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Specifically, acne and hemangiomas may be amenable to telehealth as they often affect localized areas and can be easily visualized using patientsubmitted photographs. 1,2 Contact dermatitis may be diagnosed virtually given it is often geometric and localized especially in combination with a carefully-obtained confirmatory history of localized cutaneous exposure to an allergen or irritant. 3 In contrast, atopic dermatitis may require in-person evaluation, as it may present diffusely on the body and exhibit texture changes that are difficult to appreciate without direct examination.…”