Teledermatology for primary care in remote areas in Brazil

International Teledermatology Review

Purpose of Review

The use of teledermatology has been evolving slowly for the delivery of health care to remote and underserved populations. Improving technology and the recent COVID-19 pandemic have hastened its use internationally.

Recent Findings

Some barriers to the use of teledermatology have fallen considerably in the last year.

Summary

Teledermatology use has increased significantly in recent years in both government-sponsored and private health care systems and individual practices. There are no recognized international practice guidelines and variable use within countries. Many barriers remain to increasing the use of teledermatology.

Teledermatology Use in Remote Areas of French Guiana: Experience From a Long-Running System

Introduction: French Guiana is an overseas region of France on the north coast of South America and is mostly covered by tropical rainforest. Most human settlements are located along the coast while some settlements are scattered across the hinterland. In 2001, the French public health service launched a telemedicine pilot project between the main hospital in Cayenne and remote health centers in French Guiana to tackle healthcare access inequalities. The aim of the present study was to review dermatology cases of the French Guiana telemedicine network to assess the use of telemedicine in dermatology, in order to evaluate its usefulness and propose ways to improve the system.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on all dermatology cases referred between July 2015 and December 2016 through the French Guiana platform. The Model for Assessment of Telemedicine (MAST) methodology was used as recommended by the European Union.

Results: A total of 254 cases were reviewed by dermatologists at Cayenne hospital over the 18-month study period, with a mean of 14 cases per month. All the 16 peripheral health centers used the telemedicine service during the study. In most cases (202/254, 80%), specialists provided a single diagnosis to the referrers. Infectious diseases represented the main reasons for requests (92/202, 46%) including 32% (29/92) of neglected tropical diseases like leprosy and cutaneous leishmaniasis. A total of 39% (100/258) peripheral centers answered the end-users' survey, and more than 85% found the answer delay was fast, the service useful and with an educational benefit. Overall, the accuracy of the diagnosis increased with the quality of the pictures provided, though the latter was good in only 60% (75/125) of the cases. Most patients for whom a teleconsultations has been required (234/254, 92%) have been managed in the peripheral health centers, while referring the patient to Cayenne was necessary for only 20/254 (8%).

Conclusion: The telemedicine system in French Guiana appears to be an interesting solution to the lack of specialists and allowed a better access to specialized dermatology care for people living in the remote areas of this region.

Can You See Me Now? Video Supplementation for Pediatric Teledermatology Cases

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Digital video is widely available and is used sporadically in clinical settings to evaluate patients, but whether it helps improve clinical management has not been determined. The aim of this study was to assess whether recorded video in addition to still images can improve residents' diagnostic and management accuracy and confidence with pediatric teledermatology cases.

METHODS

Dermatology residents from three programs were assigned alternately to an online survey with 15 pediatric teledermatology cases presented with still images only (still) or still images plus recorded video (mixed). Participants provided free-text diagnoses and management recommendations and rated their confidence and image quality. Responses were scored using a modified script concordance grading key based on reference panelists' responses.

RESULTS

Thirty-one residents participated (response rate 57%). Participants in the mixed group scored significantly higher on management accuracy (87.6 ± 12.9 vs 71.7 ± 14.2; p = 0.003). Both groups performed better on more common conditions than less common conditions. The mixed group outperformed the still group on less common conditions with respect to management recommendations.

CONCLUSION

This novel study suggests that supplemental recorded video may improve the management accuracy of pediatric teledermatology consultations, particularly for complex cases. Residents may benefit from training in recording and interpreting video.