Overview of international teledermatology

Desai, Bhushan V.; McKoy, Karen; Kovarik, Carrie L.

doi:10.4314/pamj.v6i1.69065

Cited by 17 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…44 In rural provinces of Nova Scotia, Canada, in 2009, it was reported that teledermatological videoconferencing appointments decreased the scheduled waiting time duration from 13.7 weeks for face-to-face appointments to 4.6 weeks. 45 However, regarding consultation durations, a Viber-based mobile teledermatological setup in rural Nepal reported that direct consultations took 5 min, whereas teleconsultations took 12 min. 46 A randomized cluster trial evaluated this technique using a mobile phone platform in rural Mongolian clinics and it has obtained promising results: a reduction of 19,892 km in travel distance and 269 h in travel time was noted, along with a $76.36 per-patient decrease in expenses and a 75% reduction in referrals to tertiary centers.…”

Section: Waiting Period Duration Of Consultations and Travel Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of Teledermatology to Improve Dermatological Access in Rural Areas

Coustasse

Sarkar

Abodunde

et al. 2019

Telemedicine and e-Health

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Introduction: Dermatological access in rural regions has been impacted due to an acute, global dermatologist shortage coupled with a striking disparity in dermatologist density between urban and rural areas. As a result, the dermatological arena has been under notable pressure to amplify access. Teledermatology has entailed the use of technology to provide dermatological services to individuals located at a remote distance. The purpose of this literature review was to examine the effect of utilization of teledermatology to determine enhancement of dermatological access to residents of rural areas. Materials and Methods: This review followed a systematic approach and utilized five electronic databases to obtain peerreviewed journal articles. A PRISMA approach was used and a total of 86 references were employed. Results: Teledermatology programs have been able to complement conventional dermatological care to enhance dermatological access to rural areas that have suffered from a shortage of dermatologists and could aid in supplementing traditional care as well. Within rural settings, the results of three studies in this review indicated the importance of improved quality for diagnostic precision, whereas one study reported that clinical images might not provide sufficient insight to deliver clear-cut diagnoses. In addition, enhancements in diagnostic precision could be obtained by upgrades in phone cameras to capture images. Finally, to most of the existing literature, in using teledermatology, physician satisfaction has been stronger than patient satisfaction. Conclusions: Teledermatology has had a beneficial impact in improving dermatological access to rural areas. The success of this technology is contingent upon the commitment and willingness of the dermatologist in utilizing it.

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Section: Waiting Period Duration Of Consultations and Travel Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of Teledermatology to Improve Dermatological Access in Rural Areas

Coustasse

Sarkar

Abodunde

et al. 2019

Telemedicine and e-Health

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“…Teledermatology provides a new tool for monitoring skin cancer in countries such as Brazil, which has a large area and an unequal population distribution. Teledermatology essentially involves sending digital images to specialized cancer centers for evaluation by trained experts [ 8 - 10 ] and provides a platform for professional training programs and physicians to discuss complex cases without the necessity of transporting patients, which may lead to substantial savings in time and cost [ 11 ]. This approach also effectively reduces the waiting times for surgical treatment [ 12 ] and facilitates the spread of dermatological knowledge into poor regions of the world [ 13 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital photography in skin cancer screening by mobile units in remote areas of Brazil

et al. 2014

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BackgroundNon-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is one of the most common neoplasms in the world. Despite the low mortality rates, NMSC can still cause severe sequelae when diagnosed at advanced stages. Malignant melanoma, the third most common type of skin cancer, has more aggressive behavior and a worse prognosis. Teledermatology provides a new tool for monitoring skin cancer, especially in countries with a large area and unequal population distribution.This study sought to evaluate the performance of digital photography in skin cancer diagnosis in remote areas of Brazil.MethodsA physician in a Mobile Prevention Unit (MPU) took four hundred sixteen digital images of suspicious lesions between April 2010 and July 2011. All of the photographs were electronically sent to two oncologists at Barretos Cancer Hospital who blindly evaluated the images and provided a diagnosis (benign or malignant). The absolute agreement rates between the diagnoses made by direct visual inspection (by the MPU physician) and through the use of digital imaging (by the two oncologists) were calculated. The oncologists’ accuracy in predicting skin cancer using digital imaging was assessed by means of overall accuracy (correct classification rate), sensitivity, specificity and predictive value (positive and negative). A skin biopsy was considered the gold standard.ResultsOncologist #1 classified 59 lesions as benign with the digital images, while oncologist #2 classified 27 lesions as benign using the same images. The absolute agreement rates with direct visual inspection were 85.8% for oncologist #1 (95% CI: 77.1-95.2) and 93.5% for oncologist #2 (95% CI: 84.5-100.0). The overall accuracy of the two oncologists did not differ significantly.ConclusionsGiven the high sensitivity and PPV, Teledermatology seems to be a suitable tool for skin cancer screening by MPU in remote areas of Brazil.

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“…With advances in information technology, medical education has relied extensively on computer‐ and internet‐based training . Dermatopathology, with its visual characteristics, is particularly suitable for such applications.…”

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confidence: 99%