Recent trends in teledermatology and teledermoscopy

Abstract

Recent studies continue to examine teledermatology for a wide variety of disorders (Table 1); teledermoscopy has been mostly studied for assessing melanocytic and keratinocytic lesions [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. Accuracy and Interobserver ConcordanceMost studies show comparable diagnostic accuracy between teledermatology and face-to-face (FTF) care [55,64,66,71,72], although 3 earlier studies reviewed by Lee and English [71] found teledermatology either significantly superior [9] or inferior [73,74]. More specifically, Finnane et al [75] reviewed accuracy of diagnosis for skin cancer; most studies showed that FTF consultations were more accurate than teledermatology (67%-85% vs 51%-85%); however, some studies found teledermatology was more accurate.

A review of literature supporting the development of practice guidelines for teledermatology in Australia

“…histopathology versus consensus diagnosis). The inclusion of dermoscopy was found to improve diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity and specificity comparted to clinical photographs alone . Sequential digital dermoscopy detects thinner melanomas .…”

“…In‐person consultations remain the gold‐standard with which teledermatology is compared. Most reviews conclude that teledermatology is similar in terms of diagnostic accuracy, and management and patient outcomes with the exception of two studies that report lower diagnostic accuracy for teledermatology . Difficulty in comparability of findings arises from inconsistent quality of imaging, different types of imaging (e.g.…”

“…Sequential digital dermoscopy detects thinner melanomas . Teledermatology can be cost‐effective or cost minimising when compared to traditional methods of delivering dermatological care . Both patients and providers report high satisfaction with teledermatology …”

“…Teledermatology has consistently been reported to be highly effective for triage and subsequently reducing time to treatment for urgent cases and reducing unnecessary referrals for patients whose skin condition can be effectively managed by primary care . In a recent primary study, 68% of in‐person appointments were avoided using teledermatology for triage to identify patients that had a benign lesion .…”

“…Despite the potential, teledermatology is not widely and routinely practised in Australia. The availability of clinical guidelines may increase the uptake of teledermatology . Consequently, the Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD) e‐Health Committee has developed practice guidelines (‘the Guidelines’) for teledermatology for use by dermatologists practicing in Australia.…”