Fotografie in der Dermatologie - ein Scoping Review: Praktiken, Skin of Color, Patientenpräferenzen und medizinisch-rechtliche Überlegungen

Die klinische Fotografie ist essentiell für die Dermatologie. Es gibt jedoch keine umfassende Aufarbeitung der Literatur zur Fotografie in der Dermatologie. Dieser Scoping Review soll die Literatur zu fotografischen Praktiken in der Dermatologie, der Fotografie stark pigmentierter Haut (Skin of Color), Patientenpräferenzen und medizinisch‐rechtlichen Überlegungen zusammenfassen. Die Datenbanken Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed und Evidence Based Medicine wurden im Einklang mit der PRISMA‐Erweiterung für Scoping Reviews durchsucht. Insgesamt wurden 33 Studien zusammengefasst. Die klinische Fotografie wird häufig für die Markierung von Biospiestellen, Beurteilung, Diagnostik, Krankheitsüberwachung, Bewertung des Ansprechens auf die Behandlung, medizinische Ausbildung, Forschung, das Einholen kollegialer Ratschläge und in der Teledermatologie eingesetzt. Obwohl es in der dermatologischen Fotografie weiterhin kaum Darstellungen von Skin of Color gibt, sind fotografische Überlegungen für dunklere Hauttypen verfügbar. Die meisten Patienten unterstützen die medizinische Fotografie. Dabei besteht der Wunsch, dass klinische Fotografien vom eigenen Arzt aufgenommen und bevorzugt klinikeigene Kameras und keine persönlichen Geräte verwendet werden. Relevante medizinisch‐rechtliche Fragestellungen umfassen Bedenken hinsichtlich des Datenschutzes, der Verwendung persönlicher Geräte und der Dokumentation der Einwilligung. Die Fotografie in der Dermatologie entwickelt sich ständig weiter und findet immer breitere Anwendung. Verbesserte Verfahren und Innovationen werden Menschen aller Hautfarben zugute kommen. Die Einhaltung der Zustimmung und des Datenschutzes muss gewährleistet werden, um die zunehmende Einfachheit der Bildaufnahme und ‐freigabe aufrechtzuerhalten.

Photography in dermatology - a scoping review: Practices, skin of color, patient preferences, and medical-legal considerations

Clinical photography is essential in dermatology. However, a comprehensive literature review of photography in dermatology is lacking. This scoping review aims to summarize the literature regarding photography practices in dermatology, photography of skin of color, patient preferences, and medical-legal considerations. A search was conducted utilizing Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, and Evidence Based Medicine databases in accordance with the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews. In total, 33 studies were summarized. Clinical photography is commonly used in biopsy site marking, assessment, diagnosis, disease monitoring, evaluation of treatment response, medical education, research, seeking advice from colleagues, and teledermatology. Although dermatologic photography remains devoid of skin of color representation, photographic considerations for darker skin are available. Most patients support medical photography, with a preference for clinical photographs to be taken by their own physicians, and for use of clinic/hospital-owned cameras over personal devices. Pertinent medical-legal issues include concerns around privacy, personal device use, and documentation of consent. Photography in dermatology is continuously evolving with broader applications. Improved practices and innovations will benefit individuals of various skin tones. Management of consent and privacy must be upheld to sustain the increasing ease of image capture and sharing.

The Role of Teledermatology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review

Teledermatology represented one of the most important and useful tools during the COVID-19 pandemic era. Indeed, due to the severe restriction, and to reduce the spread of the infection, different measures were applied among different countries and hospitals to ensure a continuity of care for patients. In this scenario, teledermatology played a central role, especially in the management of patients suffering from chronic inflammatory skin diseases. The aim of this narrative review is to describe the role of teledermatology during the COVID-19 pandemic to analyze main strengths and limitations of this tool, as well as to provide future perspectives in clinical applications.

A Pilot Study to Assess the Reliability of Digital Image-Based PASI Scores Across Patient Skin Tones and Provider Training Levels

Introduction

The ability to perform psoriasis skin assessments remotely through digital image-based psoriasis area and severity index (DIB-PASI) would be a valuable tool for psoriasis clinical trials. An ideal teledermatological assessment would be robust across patients of diverse skin tones as well as across assessors of varying experience levels. In this pilot study, we evaluated the reliability of face-to-face (FTF) versus DIB-PASI scores determined by trained clinical assessors with a spectrum of experience and with patients of different skin tones.

Methods

Fourteen subjects of varying skin tones with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis were treated with adalimumab. In-person PASI assessments and digital photography were performed in the clinic at weeks 0, 12, and 24. Photographs were reviewed by four independent assessors to derive a digital image-based PASI score. The concordance of face-to-face PASI (FTF-PASI) and DIB-PASI were analyzed across patient and assessor factors.

Results

Overall concordance between FTF-PASI and DIB-PASI was high (ICC 0.82, p < 0.0001), with good agreement across individual assessors. When analyzed by PASI score component or body region, digital assessors also demonstrated good agreement with the FTF assessor. Similarly, DIB-PASI showed high concordance with FTF-PASI for patients with light skin tones and patients with medium-to-dark skin tones, and across clinical training levels.

Conclusion

Overall, PASI scores derived from digital images showed good agreement with those determined in person. Importantly, these remote assessments were reliable for both light and medium-to-dark skin tones, and robust to training level of the assessor. The findings from this pilot study lay the foundation for expanding teledermatology-based clinical trials for patients with psoriasis and enabling accurate, remote monitoring of disease severity and therapy response.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13555-022-00750-w.

Patient-Generated Health Photos and Videos Across Health and Well-being Contexts: Scoping Review

Background

Patient-generated health data are increasingly used to record health and well-being concerns and engage patients in clinical care. Patient-generated photographs and videos are accessible and meaningful to patients, making them especially relevant during the current COVID-19 pandemic. However, a systematic review of photos and videos used by patients across different areas of health and well-being is lacking.

Objective

This review aims to synthesize the existing literature on the health and well-being contexts in which patient-generated photos and videos are used, the value gained by patients and health professionals, and the challenges experienced.

Methods

Guided by a framework for scoping reviews, we searched eight health databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science) and one computing database (ACM), returning a total of 28,567 studies. After removing duplicates and screening based on the predefined inclusion criteria, we identified 110 relevant articles. Data were charted and articles were analyzed following an iterative thematic approach with the assistance of NVivo software (version 12; QSR International).

Results

Patient-generated photos and videos are used across a wide range of health care services (39/110, 35.5% articles), for example, to diagnose skin lesions, assess dietary intake, and reflect on personal experiences during therapy. In addition, patients use them to self-manage health and well-being concerns (33/110, 30%) and to share personal health experiences via social media (36/110, 32.7%). Photos and videos create significant value for health care (59/110, 53.6%), where images support diagnosis, explanation, and treatment (functional value). They also provide value directly to patients through enhanced self-determination (39/110, 35.4%), social (33/110, 30%), and emotional support (21/110, 19.1%). However, several challenges emerge when patients create, share, and examine photos and videos, such as limited accessibility (16/110, 14.5%), incomplete image sets (23/110, 20.9%), and misinformation through photos and videos shared on social media (17/110, 15.5%).

Conclusions

This review shows that photos and videos engage patients in meaningful ways across different health care activities (eg, diagnosis, treatment, and self-care) for various health conditions. Although photos and videos require effort to capture and involve challenges when patients want to use them in health care, they also engage and empower patients, generating unique value. This review highlights areas for future research and strategies for addressing these challenges.

Teledermatology and Inflammatory Skin Conditions during COVID-19 Era: New Perspectives and Applications

Background: The most frequent inflammatory skin diseases are psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and acne. Their management is challenging for dermatologists since their relapsing chronic clinical course is associated with a great impact on quality of life. Nevertheless, the recent introduction of novel therapies, such as biological drugs and small molecules has been changing the history of these diseases. Methods: A systematic review of the scientific literature of case reports, case series, epidemiological studies, reviews, and systematic reviews regarding teledermatology and inflammatory skin disease. Studies were identified, screened, and extracted for relevant data following the PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines. Results: A total of 69 cases articles were included in the review. Conclusions: As we have shown in the review, several experiences of teledermatology for patients affected by inflammatory skin diseases have been demonstrated to increase due to clinical access to hospital and specialized health care services, allowing better access to specialized dermatology care for people living in remote areas, and saving costs and money with health care.

Teledermatology: current indications and considerations for future use

Telemedicine is one of the most consequential technologies in modern healthcare. In certain situations, it allows for the delivery of care with high quality and minimal difficulty. This is particularly true in dermatology, in which many dermatological conditions can be treated remotely. The burden on dermatology patients has been greatly reduced for certain pathologies due to telemedicine. Health care providers also achieve improved job satisfaction following the convenience of meeting their patients. This paper details select dermatological conditions, and subsequently divides them into those treatable by telemedicine appointments, and those requiring face to face appointments.

Pharmacodynamic Monitoring of Biological Therapies in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn disease share similar underlying pathophysiological processes, providing the opportunity to treat the patients using similar biological therapies. Failure of biological treatments due to underexposure can be managed by therapeutic drug monitoring. Adjusting the treatment based on pharmacokinetic monitoring can be further improved by taking pharmacodynamic parameters such as clinical and molecular markers into account.

METHODS

Here, we critically evaluate the existing evidence, the hurdles to be taken, and the opportunities for a widespread implementation of pharmacodynamic monitoring.

RESULTS

Pharmacodynamic monitoring typically is the monitoring of biochemical markers. A pharmacodynamic marker preferably is specific for the pharmacological action of a drug, but most of the time nonspecific pharmacodynamic markers are used, such as C-reactive protein and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Clinical pharmacodynamic markers typically evaluate physical variables or symptoms. Although physician-reported outcomes have been studied for a longer time and often have been shown to correlate well with molecular pharmacodynamic markers and treatment outcomes, the introduction of mobile health or mHealth technologies caused a shift toward patient-reported outcomes, with the associated challenge to consistently reflect the inflammatory state, thereby preventing undertreatment or unnecessary overdosing of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The primary goal of pharmacodynamic monitoring is to optimize the response, but it can also have an impact on safety, costs, patient adherence, etc. Ideally, the constant remote monitoring of patient-reported disease activity is expected to become the standard, facilitated by mHealth technologies.

Telemedicine in dermatology: findings and experiences worldwide - a systematic literature review

Telemedicine has become an important element of health care in many countries and profited from the technological progress of the last two decades. Due to the visual character of the dermatological specialty, teledermatology in particular participated in that development and is becoming a major tool in dermatological consultation. The objective of this article was to identify the use of teledermatology across the world based on published original articles. A systematic literature search of the MEDLINE and Embase databases for eligible publications (predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria) and a cross-validation search were conducted. Search results were reviewed systematically. The search resulted in 204 publications meeting the inclusion criteria for analysis. The highest number of published studies on teledermatology was performed in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and Austria. The majority of dermatological indications for telemedical consultations were not specified or included various kinds of skin diseases, followed by skin cancer and wounds. Research questions predominantly focused on concordance, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness to determine the value. Teledermatology proved to be a reliable consultation tool in the majority of studies. If specified, telemedicine was used in daily dermatological routine for patient management purposes, to consult patients in peripheral locations, or for medical support in nursing homes or home care settings. The application of teledermatology worldwide is highest in North American and European countries, while countries with poor geographical distribution of physicians seem to be under-represented in teledermatological use, as concluded from publication output. Regarding indications, comparison with classic consultation and area of application, most studies were of general nature. For precise determination of the value, systematic studies would be needed. However, teledermatology is already accepted as a valid tool.

Practice Guidelines for Teledermatology

Previous American Telemedicine Association (ATA) Teledermatology Practice Guidelines were issued in 2007. This updated version reflects new knowledge in the field, new technologies, and the need to incorporate teledermatology practice in a variety of settings, including hospitals, urgent care centers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, school-based clinics, public health facilities, and patient homes.

Mobile Technology for the Practice of Pathology

Recently, several technological advances have been introduced to mobile phones leading some people to refer to them as "smartphones." These changes have led to widespread consumer adoption. A similar adoption has occurred within the medical field and this revolution is changing the practice of medicine, including pathology. Several mobile applications have been published for dermatology, orthopedics, ophthalmology, neurosurgery, and clinical pathology. The applications are wide ranging, including mobile technology to increase patient engagement, self-monitoring by patients, clinical algorithm calculation, facilitation between experts to resource-poor environments. These advances have been received with mixed reviews. For anatomic pathology, mobile technology applications can be broken into 4 broad categories: (a) educational uses, (b) microscope with mobile phone, (c) mobile phone as microscope/acquisition device, and (d) miscellaneous. Using a mobile phone as an acquisition device paired with a microscope seems to be the most interesting current application because of the need for expert consultation with resource-poor environments. However, several emerging uses for mobile technology may become more prominent as the technology matures including image analysis, alternative light sources, and increased opportunities for clinician and patient engagement. The flexibility represented by mobile technology represents a burgeoning field in pathology informatics.

Providing Guidance for Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis Who Are Candidates for Biologic Therapy

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated disease characterized by itchy, scaly, and often painful plaques in the skin. Psoriasis can have significant psychosocial burdens and increased risks for numerous comorbidities, including diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, particularly in patients with moderate-to-severe disease. Dermatology nurse practitioners and physician assistants are an important part of the healthcare team, contributing to all aspects of psoriasis management. This review reinforces the unique aspects of care that nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide to patients with psoriasis, such as facilitating conversations about managing disease, setting appropriate expectations, and considering treatment options, including when treatment response or tolerability is suboptimal. The importance of relationship building is stressed. Patient management topics discussed include helpful tips about assessing treatment options, initiating biologic therapy, optimizing patient adherence, and managing comorbidities. Also reviewed are how to deal with common barriers including lack of knowledge about psoriasis or making healthy lifestyle changes, fear of injections or side effect risks, lack of health insurance, and concerns about treatment costs. Overall, by forming meaningful relationships and engaging patients in their psoriasis care, nurse practitioners and physician assistants can help to optimize clinical efficacy outcomes and consistently manage moderate-to-severe psoriasis and its comorbidities over the patient’s life course.

Quality of life: a research gap in teledermatology

An important outcome in healthcare, and in particular for dermatologic healthcare, is quality of life. Whereas the literature is well represented by quality of life assessments in dermatology, very little information is available that specifically addresses teledermatology's impact on quality of life. This gap in our knowledge of teledermatology is noteworthy precisely because of the importance that quality of life plays in dermatologic disease and healthcare delivery. The goal of this review is to briefly outline the concept of quality of life and its importance to dermatology, describe the different type of instruments that are used to assess quality of life, and to review studies that implemented teledermatology interventions and made quality of life assessments. The available literature has shown that teledermatology interventions do result in improved quality of life, and those changes correlate with improvements in disease severity and clinical course. Integrating quality of life assessments in future evaluations of teledermatology interventions would be valuable to provide a more comprehensive depiction of teledermatology's impact on patients receiving dermatology care via telemedicine.

The utility of C4d immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue in the distinction of polymorphic eruption of pregnancy from pemphigoid gestationis

Polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (PEP), formerly known as pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy, is a dermatosis of pregnancy that must be distinguished from pemphigoid gestationis (PG). Although this differential diagnosis may be possible on routine histology, an additional biopsy for direct immunofluorescence (DIF) is often needed. Recent studies have demonstrated the utility of anti-C4d or anti-C3d antibodies in the diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid (BP) in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE). We investigated the utility of routine immunohistochemistry (IHC) for anti-C4d in FFPE tissue in the specific differential diagnosis of PEP versus PG in known, DIF-proven cases. We performed C4d IHC on PEP (n = 11), PG (n = 8), DIF-proven BP (n = 12), and other common dermatoses (n = 12) that are typically DIF negative. None of the PEP cases (0/11) or the other common dermatoses (0/12) demonstrated C4d positivity at the basement membrane zone. In comparison, 100% of PG cases (8/8) and 83.3% of BP cases (10/12) showed linear C4d immunoreactant deposition along the basement membrane zone. The results demonstrate the potential utility of C4d IHC in FFPE tissue for distinguishing PEP from PG, thus potentially obviating the need of a repeat biopsy for DIF, particularly in C4d-negative cases where there is a low suspicion of PG on both clinical and histological grounds. Also, patients with positive C4d-positive immunoreactivity may also potentially proceed directly to less invasive serological confirmatory testing, such as BP180 NC16a enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay.

Educational and motivational support service: a pilot study for mobile-phone-based interventions in patients with psoriasis

BACKGROUND

 Psoriasis is a chronic disease which requires long-term therapy. Therefore, adherence to therapy and patient motivation are key points in controlling the disease. Mobile-phone-based interventions, and in particular text messages (TM), have already been used effectively to motivate patients and improve treatment adherence in many different chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and asthma.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the use of TM in improving treatment adherence and several patient outcomes such as quality of life, disease severity, patient-perceived disease severity and the patient-physician relationship.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Daily TM, providing reminders and educational tools, were sent for 12 weeks to a group of 20 patients with psoriasis. At the beginning and end of the study the following assessments were performed: Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), Self-Administered Psoriasis Area Severity Index (SAPASI), body surface area (BSA), Physician Global Assessment (PGA), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), evaluation of patient-physician relationship and adherence to therapy. A matched control group of 20 patients with psoriasis was used for comparison of the same outcomes.

RESULTS

Both patient groups had similar scores for PASI, SAPASI, BSA, PGA and DLQI at baseline. However, after 12 weeks the intervention group reported a significantly better improvement of disease severity as well as quality of life, showing lower values of PASI, SAPASI, BSA, PGA and DLQI with respect to the control group (P<0·05). Moreover, adherence to therapy improved in a statistically significant way (P<0·001) whereas it remained stable in the control group. Similarly, TM interventions led to an optimization of patient-physician communication.

CONCLUSIONS

 TM interventions seem to be a very promising tool for the long-term management of patients with psoriasis, leading to an increased compliance to therapy, positive changes in self-care behaviours and better patient-physician relationship allowing improved clinical outcomes and better control of the disease.

Pilot study on the acceptance of mobile teledermatology for the home monitoring of high-need patients with psoriasis

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

The willingness to be educated is one of the highest desires among patients with psoriasis. Therefore, a collaborative model of management would appear to be essential in enhancing patient satisfaction in this challenging condition. The present study aimed at examining the applicability of a mobile teledermatology service in this regard and assessing the association between patient acceptance and perceived health-related quality of life.

METHODS

High-need patients with psoriasis performed visits over 12 weeks transmitting clinical images together with some relevant clinical information via mobile phones to teledermatologists, who provided treatment instructions. Ten patients and two teledermatologists completed 20-item patient (weeks 6 and 12) and 10-item physician (at week 12) acceptance questionnaires. In addition, patients answered the dermatology life quality index (DLQI) at weeks 0, 6 and 12.

RESULTS

Both patients and teledermatologists were pleased with the service with high acceptance rates (patients: 81.0% at week 6 and 82.9% at week 12; teledermatologists: 74.0%). In addition, 80% of the patients considered the service an alternative to in-person consultation and 90% felt they were in good hands but had achieved a more flexible and empowered lifestyle. No significant correlations were found between patient acceptance and DLQI. Both teledermatologists found the service a convenient and reliable tool for patient monitoring. Neither patients nor teledermatologists thought further in-person consultations necessary.

CONCLUSION

Mobile teledermatology is a valuable tool for the home monitoring of patients with psoriasis that makes a meaningful difference in their lives. It is well accepted by both patients and the physicians involved.

Design and development of a mobile computer application to reengineer workflows in the hospital and the methodology to evaluate its effectiveness

This paper describes a new method of collecting additional data for the purpose of skin cancer research from the patients in the hospital using the system Mobile Computing in Medicine Graz (MoCoMed-Graz). This system departs from the traditional paper-based questionnaire data collection methods and implements a new composition of evaluation methods to demonstrate its effectiveness. The patients fill out a questionnaire on a Tablet-PC (or iPad Device) and the resulting medical data is integrated into the electronic patient record for display when the patient enters the doctor's examination room. Since the data is now part of the electronic patient record, the doctor can discuss the data together with the patient making corrections or completions where necessary, thus enhancing data quality and patient empowerment. A further advantage is that all questionnaires are in the system at the end of the day - and manual entry is no longer necessary - consequently raising data completeness. The front end was developed using a User Centered Design Process for touch tablet computers and transfers the data in XML to the SAP based enterprise hospital information system. The system was evaluated at the Graz University Hospital - where about 30 outpatients consult the pigmented lesion clinic each day - following Bronfenbrenner's three level perspective: The microlevel, the mesolevel and the macrolevel: On the microlevel, the questions answered by 194 outpatients, evaluated with the System Usability Scale (SUS) resulted in a median of 97.5 (min: 50, max: 100) which showed that it is easy to use. On the mesolevel, the time spent by medical doctors was measured before and after the implementation of the system; the medical task performance time of 20 doctors (age median 43 (min: 29; max: 50)) showed a reduction of 90%. On the macrolevel, a cost model was developed to show how much money can be saved by the hospital management. This showed that, for an average of 30 patients per day, on a 250 day basis per year in this single clinic, the hospital management can save up to 40,000 EUR per annum, proving that mobile computers can successfully contribute to workflow optimization.

Teledermatology: a tool for remote supervision of a general practitioner with special interest in dermatology

BACKGROUND

Teledermatology (TD) has been developed as an alternative to face-to-face (FTF) dermatology care in remote areas.

AIM

To assess the feasibility of TD in remote supervision and education of a general practitioner with special interest (GPwSI), to reduce FTF consultations with the consultant dermatologist, and to provide appropriate diagnosis and care. Our secondary aim was to evaluate patient satisfaction with this mode of consultation.

METHODS

A TD service in Aberdeen was set up to augment supervision of a remote rural GP training in dermatology. This service was audited over a 2-year period to assess its usefulness in the education of the remote GP.

RESULTS

Prospective data on 230 selected referrals was analysed. Store-and-forward TD provided a high level of patient satisfaction, and was effective in remote supervision and education of a GPwSI in dermatology. FTF consultations with the consultant were avoided in 69% of consultations, and diagnostic agreement was considered high (61%). Educational feedback was given to the GP in 66% of consultations.

CONCLUSIONS

TD can supplement infrequent specialist dermatology service in remote areas, as in this case. We conclude that for selected patients, TD was a useful training tool for supervising the GPwSI, and ensuring clinical governance and quality assurance in clinics in a remote rural area. However, this model of care was limited by cost and the inherent limitations of TD.

Teledermatology with an integrated nurse-led clinic on the Faroe Islands--7 years' experience

BACKGROUND

Telemedicine is an increasingly suggested answer to the problem of providing high-class medical service to rural and remote areas in a modern society. Dermatology is a promising candidate for telemedical service, because it is well suited for clinical questions forwarded together with photographs.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the patient population of the Faroe Islands dermatology clinic with respect to distribution of diagnoses, treatment, duration, response time and patient flow.

METHODS

Case notes were drawn from all dermatology consultations managed during 2003-2009 through the national teledermatology system. These were compared with case notes drawn from the same journal system from the regular outpatient clinic.

RESULTS

Over the last 7 years, a total of 9161 consultations in 7.7% of the population have been performed. The demography of the patient population reflects the underlying population apart for an over-representation of the female gender in younger years. The disease spectrum is comparable with what has been reported in other outpatient clinics, except for the relative absence of skin cancer and pigmented lesions, for which regular outpatient consultation is reserved.

LIMITATIONS

The study is descriptive.

CONCLUSIONS

The experience derived suggests that teledermatology may serve as a near-adequate alternative to a regular private practice, if abstaining from treating minor common skin conditions and purely cosmetic conditions is acceptable.