Teledermatology: Comparison of Store-and-Forward Versus Live Interactive Video Conferencing

Can dermatologists reach their full potential in teledermatology? A validation study of diagnostic performance of skin diseases in live video conferencing teledermatology

The diagnostic accuracy rate of live videoconferencing (LVC) teledermatology, by board-certified dermatologists compared to non-dermatologists has not yet been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of board-certified dermatologists, dermatology specialty trainees, and board-certified internists in LVC teledermatology. We examined the diagnostic accuracy of clinicians from different specialties in diagnosing the same group of patients. The clinicians were isolated from each other during the diagnosis process. We enrolled 18 volunteer physicians (six board-certified dermatologists, six dermatology specialty trainees, and six board-certified internists) who reviewed the skin conditions of 18 patients via LVC teledermatology. The diagnostic accuracy of the participating physicians was evaluated using the final diagnosis as the reference standard. The diagnostic accuracy averages were compared according to the physicians' specialties and disease categories. The mean ± standard deviation diagnostic accuracy of the most detailed level diagnosis was 83.3% ± 3.5% (range, 77.8%-89.0%) for board-certified dermatologists, 53.7 ± 20.7% (range 27.8%-77.8%) for dermatology specialty trainees, and 27.8 ± 5.0% (range, 22.2%-33.3%) for board-certified internists. Board-certified dermatologists showed significantly higher diagnostic accuracy, not only against board-certified internists (p < 0.0001) but also against dermatology specialty trainees (p < 0.05). Disease categories with high accuracy rates (≥80%) only by board-certified dermatologists were inflammatory papulosquamous dermatoses (87.5%), compared to 58.3%, and 20.8% for dermatology specialty trainees and board-certified internists respectively). For inflammatory erythemas and other reactive inflammatory dermatoses the accuracy rates for board-certified dermatologists, dermatology specialty trainees, and board-certified internists were 83.3%, 33.3%, 8.3% respectively; for melanoma in situ neoplasms, 83.3%, 50.0%, 66.7% respectively), and for genetic disorders of keratinization 83.3%, 33.3%, and 0% respectively). Our findings showed that board-certified dermatologists may have high diagnostic accuracy with practical safety and effectiveness in LVC teledermatology.

Store-and-forward (asynchronous) doctor-to-dermatologist non-skin cancer specific teledermatology services in Australia: A scoping review

Store-and-forward teledermatology (SAFT) has become increasingly popular as a means to increase access to specialist care and address healthcare disparities such as those experienced by rural communities. A contemporary systematic overview of the Australian SAFT services and outcomes for all dermatological conditions is missing. This scoping review provides an overview of Australian SAFT models. Twelve studies were identified through web databases, grey literature sites and reference lists of eligible articles. Eligibility criteria included studies evaluating doctor-to-dermatologist Australian SAFT services provided to Australians for all skin conditions but excluded the studies that solely focused on skin cancers. Data on study design, setting, population, SAFT model, referral characteristics, patient, and general practitioner perspectives, diagnostic concordance, and measured outcomes such as follow up, investigation and waiting time were extracted. Quality of the included studies was assessed using CASP tools. Synthesis reveals that SAFT can be used for patients with any dermatological condition, provides more accurate diagnostics compared to cases without dermatologist input, may reduce waiting times for dermatological expertise, and users generally had positive experiences with SAFT. Although results are positive, this review reveals the heterogenous nature of the literature on SAFT in Australia and a need to establish a uniform approach to assessing the outcomes and impacts of such services.

Digital health interventions in dermatology-Mapping technology and study parameters of systematically identified publications

Digital health interventions (DHI) potentially improve the efficiency and effectiveness of dermatological care. Currently, an overview clustering and characterizing the evidence on DHIs is missing. This systematic mapping of the literature aims to analyse published research on DHIs in dermatology to identify trends and gaps in research. For this purpose, a systematic search of the MEDLINE database was conducted in August 2022 to identify original publications on DHIs in dermatology. Data on country, targeted audience, DHI category, indication, outcome parameter and study design were extracted. Out of 12,009 records identified in MEDLINE, 403 studies were included in the final analysis. Studies on DHIs mainly performed in western countries, headed by the United States (n = 133), Germany (n = 32) and Spain (n = 23). Of all identified DHIs, 261 targeted healthcare providers (HCP), 66 clients (e.g. patients, caregivers, healthy individuals) and 67 both clients and HCPs. A majority of DHIs focussed on establishing a diagnosis (n = 254). Every other study analysed store-and-forward teledermatology (n = 187), followed by artificial intelligence applications for image analysis (n = 65). The most often analysed DHI category for clients was a support of health behaviour change (n = 31). Monitoring of clients was targeted by 77 studies. Skin cancer (n = 148), wounds (n = 29) and psoriasis (n = 29) were the most targeted indications by DHIs. Most studies analysed diagnostic performance (n = 166), fewer studies analysed acceptance (n = 92) and effectiveness (n = 98). Usability (n = 32) and efficiency (n = 36) were investigated only to a small extent. Studies on DHIs in dermatology have focused on teledermatology and AI applications, with an emphasis on skin cancer diagnosis. Apart from that, a range of DHIs for different user groups, purposes and indications were identified, demonstrating the broad potential for DHIs in dermatology. Further research with a wider set of outcome parameters is needed to fully understand the potential of DHIs and ensure their sustainable implementation into dermatological care.

Rapid Expansion of a Teledermatology Web Application for Digital Dermatology Assessment Necessitated by the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Evaluation

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a change in the provision of outpatient care in dermatology.

OBJECTIVE

A novel, asynchronous, digital consultation platform was codeveloped with 2 National Health Service dermatology teams to improve access and enhance choice in outpatient care.

METHODS

The rollout of the platform was accelerated during the initial COVID-19 lockdown, and its wider use across 2 Scottish health boards was retrospectively evaluated. Integrated with the hospital booking system and electronic patient record, the platform provides an alternative to face-to-face consultations, using information and images submitted by the patients.

RESULTS

In total, 297 new patient consultations and 108 return patient consultations were assessed, and 80% (324/405) of the images submitted were of satisfactory quality. The consultations were, on average, 3 minutes shorter than equivalent face-to-face interactions, and a total of 5758 km of patient travel was avoided. Outcomes included web-based reviews (66/405, 16.3%), face-to-face reviews (190/405, 46.9%), biopsies (46/405, 11.4%), discharge (89/405, 22%), and other treatments or investigations (14/405, 3.5%). High levels of patient satisfaction (92/112, 82.1%) were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Digital dermatology assessments are now included in the choices for consultation types that are available to patients, helping to augment service capacity during pandemic recovery.

Overview of dermatologic tele-expertise in areas of low physician density: A retrospective study at Le Mans general hospital

BACKGROUND

In areas of low physician density, especially as regards dermatologists in France, there is an increasing interest in tele-expertise. This is particularly the case in the Sarthe department, where the number of physicians continues to decline and access to care was further limited by the COVID 19 epidemic.

STUDY DESIGN

We retrospectively collected data from tele-expertise requests submitted to Le Mans General Hospital by general practitioners via a dedicated platform between May 6, 2019, and April 9, 2021.

RESULTS

Six hundred and forty three requests relating to 90 different diagnoses were recorded during this period. One hundred and thirty four patients (20% of requests) were invited to attend a face-to-face consultation within an average of 29 days.

DISCUSSION

Through the use of tele-expertise at Le Mans Genreal Hospital it was possible to introduce a means of tackling the problem of the lack of dermatologists in the Sarthe department. Rapid responses enabled the number of consultation requests to be reduced, leading to fewer population displacements in the context of the present pandemic.

CONCLUSION

These initial results are encouraging and confirm that tele-expertise seems a satisfactory option to optimize access to care for populations in areas of low physician density.

Assessing Acne Severity: Teledermatology Versus Face to Face Consultations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

Acne vulgaris is a common skin disorder in pilosebaceous units that is self-limited, especially in adolescents. This disease not only causes permanent physical complications but also psychosocial effects that harm the quality of life. Telemedicine has grown its popularity in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Store and Forward (SAF) teledermatology using digital cameras has also increased patient service satisfaction, promising diagnostic reliability, and clinical outcomes similar to face-to-face visits.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to compare the severity of acne vulgaris by teledermatology with face-to-face consultations. We also observe the capability of teledermatology in establishing the severity of acne vulgaris.

METHODS

This study is an observational analytic study with a cross-sectional design involving 105 patients with a diagnosis of acne vulgaris based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The characteristics of age and sex were recorded. The severity of acne vulgaris was established directly by the resident and teledermatologically by the dermatologist consultant. Teledermatology was carried out based on photo documentation of five facial lesion areas; namely forehead, chin, right cheek, left cheek, and the entire face, along with photos from the history submitted by the resident. An assessment for acne vulgaris severity was carried out based on the classification from the International Consensus Conference on Acne Classification System. This classification divided acne vulgaris as mild, moderate, and severe with an ordinal measuring scale. A compatibility test was also performed to determine the comparison between teledermatology and face-to-face consultations in establishing the severity of acne vulgaris. Comparison of the severity of acne vulgaris was assessed by the kappa value.

RESULTS

Acne vulgaris was found more common in women (n=71, 67.6%) and those aged 18 to 22 years (n=55, 52.4%). Most of the subjects have moderate severity based on face-to-face consultations and teledermatology examination (n=52 (49.5%) and n=50 (47.6%), respectively). The value of the capability test between teledermatology and face-to-face consultations in comparing the severity of acne vulgaris is 0.611, which means the capability is considered good.

CONCLUSION

In this study, the teledermatology examination shows good conformity when compared with face-to-face consultations in assessing severity of acne vulgaris.

Using teledermatology to prevent and diagnose skin cancer in the rural United States

ABSTRACT

In the United States, skin cancer is a prevalent and sometimes preventable form of cancer that causes a significant disease burden in rural and urban communities. Studies have shown, however, that rural residents are less likely to engage in primary prevention behaviors against skin cancer, and rural populations have higher skin cancer incidence and mortality than urban residents. Teledermatology can be used to address disparities in both skin cancer diagnosis and health education to improve dermatology outcomes in rural communities. This article reviews teledermatology formats, barriers, and benefits to encourage integration of teledermatology modalities into clinical practice.

Inpatient Teledermatology: a Review

Purpose of Review

Inpatient teledermatology is a rapidly growing field with significant potential to add value and streamline patient care. This review summarizes the current literature on inpatient teledermatology, primarily focusing on its diagnostic and clinical management utility as compared to live dermatologic evaluation.

Recent Findings

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of inpatient teledermatology, which has been shown to be comparable to live hospitalist evaluation for triage, diagnosis, and management of hospitalized patients for a wide variety of conditions. Despite its comparative cost-effectiveness and recent changes in reimbursement practices, inpatient teledermatology still lacks sufficient reimbursement incentive for widespread implementation.

Summary

Inpatient teledermatology is an effective, efficient, accurate, and cost-effective means of managing the hospital burden of skin disease, especially in areas where access to dermatologic care is limited. It is essential that dermatologists and referring providers comprehend the use and potential pitfalls of inpatient teledermatology to effectively incorporate it into hospital practice.

Patterns and Barriers of Teledermatology in Resource Limited Settings in COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Survey of Nepalese Dermatologists

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Limitations

Conclusion

Emergency Use and Efficacy of an Asynchronous Teledermatology System as a Novel Tool for Early Diagnosis of Skin Cancer during the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: After the outbreak of the corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, teledermatology was implemented in the Hungarian public healthcare system for the first time. Our objective was to assess aggregated diagnostic agreements and to determine the effectiveness of an asynchronous teledermatology system for skin cancer screening. Methods: This retrospective single-center study included cases submitted for teledermatology consultation during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Follow-up of the patients was performed to collect the results of any subsequent personal examination. Results: 749 patients with 779 lesions were involved. 15 malignant melanomas (9.9%), 78 basal cell carcinomas (51.3%), 21 squamous cell carcinomas (13.8%), 7 other malignancies (4.6%) and 31 actinic keratoses (20.4%) were confirmed. 87 malignancies were diagnosed in the high-urgency group (42.2%), 49 malignancies in the moderate-urgency group (21.6%) and 16 malignancies in the low-urgency group (4.6%) (p < 0.0001). Agreement of malignancies was substantial for primary (86.3%; κ = 0.647) and aggregated diagnoses (85.3%; κ = 0.644). Agreement of total lesions was also substantial for primary (81.2%; κ = 0.769) and aggregated diagnoses (87.9%; κ = 0.754). Conclusions: Our findings showed that asynchronous teledermatology using a mobile phone application served as an accurate skin cancer screening system during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teledermatologie: Fluch oder Segen?

Teledermatologische Dienste haben sich insbesondere während der COVID-19-Pandemie als Alternative zu „Echt“visiten verbreitet. Der Mangel an Dermatologen und die Möglichkeit einer präzisen Diagnose auch bei unterversorgten Regionen macht diese Alternative für alle Beteiligten besonders attraktiv. Trotzdem ist der Bedarf an Schulungen des Personals und der Anwender hoch. Ebenfalls können Implementierungs-, Instandhaltungs- und Wartungskosten der notwendigen Ausrüstung und die Heterogenität der unterschiedlichen Anbieter nachteilig für Patient und Arzt sein. In diesem Artikel werden wesentliche Vorteile und Nachteile der Teledermatologie zusammengefasst.

Patients' Experiences of Telemedicine for Their Skin Problems: Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Teledermatology is a cost-effective treatment modality for the management of skin disorders. Most evaluations use quantitative data, and far less is understood about the patients' experience.

OBJECTIVE

This qualitative study aimed to explore patients' perceptions of a teledermatology service linking public primary care clinics to the national specialist dermatology clinic in Singapore. A better understanding of patients' experiences can help refine and develop the care provided.

METHODS

Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with patients who had been referred to the teledermatology service. The interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed before undergoing thematic content analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 21 patients aged between 22 and 72 years were recruited. The following 3 themes were identified from the data of patients' experiences: positive perceptions of teledermatology, concerns about teledermatology, and ideas for improving the teledermatology service. The patients found the teledermatology service convenient, saving them time and expense and liberating them from the stresses incurred when making an in-person visit to a specialist facility. They valued the confidence and reassurance they gained from having a dermatologist involved in deciding their management. The patients' concern included data security and the quality of the images shared. Nonetheless, they were keen to see the service expanded beyond the polyclinics. Their experiences and perceptions will inform future service refinement and development.

CONCLUSIONS

This narrative exploration of users' experiences of teledermatology produced rich data enabling a better understanding of the patients' journey, the way they understand and interpret their experiences, and ideas for service refinement. Telemedicine reduces traveling and enables safe distancing, factors that are much needed during pandemics.

Digitale Zukunft als Chance – Teledermatologie-Erfahrungen aus der Praxis

Hintergrund Verbesserte regulatorische Rahmenbedingungen und die Corona-Pandemie als Katalysator für die Digitalisierung im Gesundheitssystem haben zu einem umfassenden telemedizinischen Angebot geführt. Auf die Dermatologie entfällt dabei ein Drittel der telemedizinischen Leistungen. Die Ausgestaltung der teledermatologischen Leistung variiert dabei je nach Anbieter stark. Die Unterschiede sowie Vor- und Nachteile sind dabei sowohl für Ärztinnen und Ärzte als auch für Patientinnen und Patienten oftmals nicht ersichtlich.

Fragestellung Das Ziel des Beitrags ist daher, einen Überblick zu den Formen und aktuellen Einsatzgebieten der Teledermatologie zu schaffen. Darüber hinaus sollen die Einsatzmöglichkeiten der Anwendungsgebiete in der Teledermatologie eingeordnet werden und anhand von persönlichen Erfahrungen mit einer dermatologischen Telemedizin-Plattform exemplarisch beschrieben werden.

Material und Methode Zur Darstellung der Teledermatologie in Deutschland wurde eine Übersichtsarbeit erstellt, die aktuelle nationale und internationale Studien und Befragungen zum Einsatz der Teledermatologie umfasst. Die exemplarische Vorstellung der asynchronen Teledermatologie am Beispiel des Angebots „OnlineDoctor“ erfolgt anhand von qualitativen Interviews der Autoren mit teilnehmenden Dermatologinnen und Dermatologen sowie öffentlich zugänglichen Produktinformationen.

Ergebnisse In einem Großteil der dermatologischen Fälle ist eine hohe Konkordanz der Diagnose und Patientenzufriedenheit unter Nutzung teledermatologischer Anwendungen erkennbar. Sowohl im Kontext der Diagnosestellung als auch bei der Versorgung chronischer Patientinnen und Patienten und dem Triagieren sind die Vorteile evaluiert. Dabei weisen die verschiedenen teledermatologischen Verfahren insbesondere mit Blick auf die genutzte Technologie (synchron bzw. asynchron) große Unterschiede auf. Die Vorteile der asynchronen Teledermatologie liegen dabei primär in der zeitlichen und örtlichen Flexibilität sowie dem breiten Anwendungsspektrum. Versorgungsdaten aus dem Alltag der beiden Autoren stützen die Aussage, dass Teledermatologie bei gleicher medizinischer Qualität positive Effekte für Patientinnen und Patienten sowie Praxen hat.

Diskussion Die Teledermatologie hat das Potenzial, Prozesse in Praxen zu verbessern und näher an der Patientin und dem Patienten zu arbeiten. Dabei ist unter dem Stichwort „Patient Empowerment“ eine patientenzentrierte Medizin anzustreben und die Möglichkeiten der digitalen Anwendungen sind zu nutzen. Die Autoren gehen davon aus, dass sich in den kommenden Jahren sowohl die Indikationen, die via Telemedizin diagnostiziert werden können, als auch die Einsatzfelder erweitern werden. Die Zukunft wird eine weitere Individualisierung des digitalen Angebotes ermöglichen und die kombinierte Nutzung von digitalen Tools und analogen Untersuchungen in der Praxis zum Goldstandard werden lassen.

[Areas of application for teledermatology]

Hintergrund

In den letzten Jahren wurden mit dem E‑Health-Gesetz und der Lockerung des Fernbehandlungsverbotes die Rahmenbedingungen für die Telemedizin in Deutschland verbessert.

Fragestellung

Das Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, eine Übersicht wichtiger Anwendungsgebiete der Teledermatologie darzustellen.

Material und Methode

Erstellt wurde eine narrative Übersichtsarbeit von nationalen und internationalen Studien und Projekten zum Einsatz der Teledermatologie für die Diagnosestellung, die Verlaufskontrolle, die Triage zwischen Haus- und Hautärzten sowie den Einsatz in Einrichtungen mit organisatorisch und/oder geografisch erschwertem Zugang zu fachmedizinischer Versorgung.

Ergebnisse

Diagnostische Anwendungen ermöglichen in einem Großteil der Fälle die teledermatologische Beurteilung bei hoher Konkordanz der Diagnose und Patientenzufriedenheit. In der Versorgung chronischer Patienten wurde in der Mehrzahl von Studien nachgewiesen, dass kein Unterschied in der Effektivität der Behandlung zwischen der Präsenz- und Fernbehandlung vorliegt und Patienten Anfahrtswege und Wartezeiten einsparen. Bei dermatologischen Fällen, die mithilfe der Teletriage evaluiert wurden, konnte ein Großteil beim Hausarzt verbleiben. Gleichzeitig wurden Patienten identifiziert, die schnellstmöglich beim Hautarzt vorstellig werden sollten. In besonderen Einrichtungen wie Justizvollzugsanstalten werden dermatologische Telekonsile erfolgreich eingesetzt.

Diskussion

Für die Nutzung der Teledermatologie in Deutschland liegen hinreichende Rahmenbedingungen und eine befriedigende Evidenz vor. Die Anwendungsbereiche sind detailliert in der S2k-Leitlinie der Teledermatologie abgebildet. Es besteht das Risiko, dass der Zugang zur Telemedizin für bestimmte Bevölkerungsgruppen erschwert sein könnte.

Awareness, acceptability, and satisfaction of teledermatology consultation among social-media users in Nepal

BACKGROUND

Teledermatology refers to the use of telecommunication in consulting one's skin problem to a dermatologist at distance.

AIMS

This study aims to identify the awareness, acceptability, preferred technical tools, willingness to use, comfortability, and satisfaction of teledermatology among social-media users in Nepal.

METHODS

It was an exploratory cross-sectional study performed on 360 social-media users, subjected to web-based interview based on pretested proforma containing questions to address: awareness of telemedicine, type and tools preferred for teledermatology, willingness to use, comfortability, and satisfaction of teledermatology services.

RESULTS

Most of the participants (60.8%) were initially unaware of telemedicine. Despite this, the majority (81.9%) were willing to use the services after being aware, mostly during the follow-up (36.6%). Most of the participants (61.1%) preferred the hybrid model for teleconsultation, while mobile was the preferred technical tool (68.1%) mostly because of its compatibility (84.1%) and portability (56.3%). The majority of the participants felt that teledermatology consultation would be beneficial (77.2%) and they mostly preferred it directly from a dermatologist (85.6%). About two-thirds (64.2%) also believed that teledermatology consultation would eliminate the need for a face-to-face consultation. The majority would be comfortable (68.1%) if their skin lesions are photographed and sent to a dermatologist and would be satisfied (62.5%) with the consultations, through Wi-Fi and mobile data both (55.6%), and via Facebook (97.2%) and Viber (70.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite being unaware of telemedicine, the participants were willing to use teledermatology consultation and thought that they would be comfortable and satisfied with it.

Digital Health: Unlocking Value in a Post-Pandemic World

The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed health care, spurring a revolution in digital health technologies. Across the world, hundreds of thousands of health care systems are considering a central question: how do we connect with our patients? Digital health has been used as a stopgap in many cases to continue the essential functions of health systems. As the post-pandemic world and our "new normal" come into focus, further needs will have to be met with a digital patient interaction, with an eye toward value transformation. One barrier to fully leveraging digital tools is the lack of a framework for classifying the type of digital health care. This can limit our ability to design, deploy, evaluate, and communicate through digital means. This article presents 3 categories of digital health and their relationships to value metrics: (1) telehealth or direct care delivery, (2) digital access tools, and (3) digital monitoring. An evidence-based discussion reveals past successes, current promises, and future challenges in reducing defects in value through digital care. In the coming years, value transformation will become more crucial to the success of health care systems. By using the taxonomy in this article, health systems can better implement digital tools with a value-driven purpose. Defining the role of digital health in the post-pandemic world is needed to assist health systems and practices to build a bridge to value-based care.

Teledermatology in times of COVID-19

Remote consultations are likely to grow in importance in the following years, especially if the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic continues. Patients’ opinions on teledermatology have already been analyzed, but a current analysis during the COVID‐19 pandemic is lacking. The purpose of this survey was to investigate the satisfaction of patients who had received dermatological advice via telephone during the COVID‐19 pandemic and to analyze their general opinion about eHealth as well as possible limitations for a broad implementation. Ninety‐one patients managed in the dermatology department using telephone consultation during the COVID‐19 pandemic were interviewed. An anonymous questionnaire, including the established quality of life questionnaire (Dermatology Life Quality Index [DLQI]), was used. It was found that men were more satisfied with telephone consultations than women (p = 0.029), educational level and age did not correlate with satisfaction (p = 0.186 and 388, respectively), and the longer the waiting time for a telephone consultation, the lower the satisfaction (p = 0.001). Grouped analysis of all participants showed that the majority (54.0% n = 38/71) were “very happy” with the telephone consultation. Higher disease burden (DLQI) was associated with lower satisfaction (p = 0.042). The main stated reasons for using telemedicine were shorter waiting times (51.6% n = 47/91) and no travel requirement (57.1% n = 47/91). Almost one‐quarter (23.1% n = 21/89) of patients would use teledermatology in the future, 17.6% (n = 16/89) would not, and 57.1% (n = 51/89) would only use it in addition to a traditional consultation with personal contact. In conclusion, most patients in the study group still preferred traditional face‐to‐face medical consultations to telephone consultations, but also desired an add‐on telemedical tool. Dermatological care using more modern telemedicine technologies than telephone conferencing is needed to better address patients’ desires, especially in times of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Factors Contributing to Diagnostic Discordance Between Store-and-Forward Teledermatology Consultations and In-Person Visits: Case Series

BACKGROUND

Use of asynchronous store-and-forward (SAF) teledermatology can improve access to timely and cost-effective dermatologic care and has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research has found high diagnostic concordance rates between SAF teledermatology and face-to-face clinical diagnosis, but to our knowledge, none have used specific cases to illustrate factors contributing to diagnostic discordance.

OBJECTIVE

To identify and illustrate characteristics that may have contributed to diagnostic discordance between store-and-forward teledermatology and in-person clinical diagnosis in a series of patients.

METHODS

We identified 7 cases of diagnostic discordance between teledermatology and in-person visits where the favored diagnosis of the in-person dermatologist was not included in the differential diagnosis formulated by the teledermatologist. Cases were identified from a previously published retrospective chart review of 340 SAF teledermatology consultations, which was previously performed at an academic community health care system in the greater Boston area, Massachusetts, from January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2017. Of 99 patients who completed an in-person dermatology appointment after their teledermatology consultation, 7 had diagnostic disagreement between the teledermatologist and in-person dermatologist where the diagnosis in the in-person consultation was not included in the differential diagnosis in the original teledermatology consult. These 7 cases were examined by 2 author reviewers to identify factors that may have contributed to diagnostic discordance.

RESULTS

Factors contributing to diagnostic discordance between SAF teledermatology consultations and in-person visits included poor image quality, inadequate history or diagnostic workup, inability to evaluate textural characteristics, diagnostic uncertainty due to atypical presentations, and evolution in appearance of skin conditions over time.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified multiple factors that contributed to diagnostic discordance. Recognition and mitigation of these factors, when possible, may help to improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce the likelihood of misdiagnosis. Continuing education of referring providers and implementation of standardized guidelines for referrals may also be helpful in reducing the risk of misdiagnosis due to inherent limitations of teledermatology services.

Suitability of Video Consultations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: Cross-sectional Survey Among Norwegian General Practitioners

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed an acute, sharp rise in the use of video consultations (VCs) by general practitioners (GPs) in Norway.

Objective

This study aims to document GPs’ experiences with the large-scale uptake of VCs in the natural experiment context of the pandemic.

Methods

A nationwide, cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Norwegian GPs during the pandemic lockdown (April 14-May 3, 2020). Each respondent was asked to evaluate up to 10 VCs. Basic demographic characteristics of the GPs and their practices were collected. The associations between GPs’ perceived suitability of the VCs, the nature of the patients’ main problems, prior knowledge of the patients (relational continuity), and follow-up of previously presented problems (episodic continuity) were explored using descriptive statistics, diagrams, and chi-square tests.

Results

In total, 1237 GPs (26% of the target group) responded to the survey. Among these, 1000 GPs offered VCs, and 855 GPs evaluated a total of 3484 VCs. Most GPs who offered VCs (1000/1237; 81%) had no experience with VCs before the pandemic. Overall, 51% (1766/3476) of the evaluated VCs were considered to have similar or even better suitability to assess the main reason for contact, compared to face-to-face consultations. In the presence of relational continuity, VCs were considered equal to or better than face-to-face consultations in 57% (1011/1785) of cases, as opposed to 32% (87/274) when the patient was unknown. The suitability rate for follow-up consultations (episodic continuity) was 61% (1165/1919), compared to 35% (544/1556) for new patient problems. Suitability varied considerably across clinical contact reasons. VCs were found most suitable for anxiety and life stress, depression, and administrative purposes, as well as for longstanding or complex problems that normally require multiple follow-up consultations. The GPs estimate that they will conduct about 20% of their consultations by video in a future, nonpandemic setting.

Conclusions

Our study of VCs performed in general practice during the pandemic lockdown indicates a clear future role for VCs in nonpandemic settings. The strong and consistent association between continuity of care and GPs’ perceptions of the suitability of VCs is a new and important finding with considerable relevance for future primary health care planning.

Use of smartphone video calls in the diagnosis of oral lesions: Teleconsultations between a specialist and patients assisted by a general dentist

BACKGROUND

Teleassistance in dentistry enables the support of dentists in areas without access to specialists. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and accuracy of synchronous teleconsultation in oral medicine.

METHODS

Patients referred for specialized care owing to oral lesions were evaluated in person by a general dentist who obtained photographs of the lesions with a smartphone. The images were sent via a mobile application to an oral medicine specialist, with whom a video call was initiated on the same instant messaging application. After interviewing the patient, the specialist formulated a diagnostic hypothesis and suggestions for case management. Then a second specialist, blinded to the first evaluation, assessed the oral lesion in person and defined a diagnosis, which was considered as the reference standard. Diagnoses from the remote and the face-to-face consultations were compared in percentage levels of agreement and κ coefficient.

RESULTS

Thirty-three patients, 25 through 83 years old, had 41 oral lesions. The average teleconsultation length was approximately 10 minutes. In 92.7% of the cases, there was concordance between the telediagnosis and the reference standard (κ = 0.922).

CONCLUSIONS

Synchronous teleconsultation can provide reliable remote diagnosis through the support to primary care health care professionals in management of oral lesions.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Earlier diagnosis of malignancies, improvement of access for unassisted populations, and reduction of unnecessary referrals are possible practical implications of remote support of a specialist in the management and diagnosis of oral lesions.

Direct patient-to-physician teledermatology: Not a flash in the pan(demic)

Dermatology is a clinical and visual discipline, which makes it the quintessential medical specialty for spot diagnosis and telemedicine. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented worldwide renaissance of teledermatology (TD). It has helped deliver high-quality medical care, while protecting the medical personnel and vulnerable patients from potential infection. Examining a patient from a distance through digital photography has many drawbacks, including lack of physical touch, difficulties in performing full body examinations, and several legal and ethical issues. We summarize have summarized the more common pitfalls and highlight the key aspects of direct patient-to-physician TD. Basic practical advice includes the use of TD for obtaining patient history, examining patient-captured photographs for inflammatory skin disease, and skin cancer screening.

[External scientific evaluation of the first teledermatology app without direct patient contact in Germany (Online Dermatologist-AppDoc)]

BACKGROUND

Teledermatology addresses the problems associated with the lack of specialists and the often long waiting time for an appointment with a dermatologist. The research project Online Dermatologist-AppDoc enables a fast anonymous expert opinion and was approved on 22 October 2018 by the Landesärztekammer Baden-Württemberg for 2 years as a model project.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present work is the presentation of the first real healthcare data for German teledematology within the framework of the external quality assurance of the model project Online Dermatologist-AppDoc.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Anonymous data records submitted to Online Dermatologist-AppDoc between 21 November 2018 and 1 August 2019 were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively at the Department of Dermatology of the University Hospital Essen. In addition to the evaluation of the data records submitted so far, 100 cases submitted underwent a second assessment by a board-certified dermatologist to assess concordance.

RESULTS

A total of 1364 cases (60.4% men, 39.6% women) were included in the current first external scientific evaluation. In 90.3% of the cases, remote diagnosis was possible. The two most frequent diagnoses were different forms of eczema (n = 270) and nevi (n = 163). Almost two thirds of the patients (64.3%) could be treated teledermatologically only. The random second examination of 100 cases resulted in an agreement of the diagnosis including the differential diagnosis/diagnoses in 97% of the cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The first external scientific evaluation of the teledermatological model project Online Dermatologist-AppDoc indicates that the reduction of spatial and temporal barriers of a dermatological examination as well as the teledermatological triage have been so far successful.

Utilization of Asynchronous and Synchronous Teledermatology in a Large Health Care System During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Teledermatology offers an opportunity to continually deliver care during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Objective: To provide quantitative data about the use of teledermatology. Methods: Retrospective analysis of teledermatology consultations was performed from March 16 to May 1, 2020. The number/type of encounters, differences in diagnoses, and prescriptions between asynchronous and synchronous teledermatology visits were analyzed. Results: A total of 951 visits (36.2%) were asynchronous whereas 1,672 visits (63.8%) were synchronous. Only 131 (<5%) visits required an acute in-person follow-up. The diagnosis of acne was more frequent with asynchronous visits (p < 0.002, Bonferroni corrected). Antibiotics and nonretinoid acne medications were prescribed more with asynchronous visits, whereas immunomodulators and biologics were more commonly prescribed with synchronous visits (p < 0.02, Bonferroni corrected). Providers at our institution were split on preferred mode (54.2% synchronous, 45.8% asynchronous); however, synchronous visits were preferred for complex medical dermatology patients and return patients (p < 0.05). Limitations: This study is limited by being a single-center study. Conclusions: Asynchronous teledermatology was used more for acne management, whereas synchronous teledermatology was preferable to providers for complex medical dermatology. Postanalysis of the data collected led us to institute a hybridization of our asynchronous and synchronous teledermatology.

[Artificial intelligence and smartphone program applications (Apps) : Relevance for dermatological practice]

ADVANTAGES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

With responsible, safe and successful use of artificial intelligence (AI), possible advantages in the field of dermato-oncology include the following: (1) medical work can focus on skin cancer patients, (2) patients can be more quickly and effectively treated despite the increasing incidence of skin cancer and the decreasing number of actively working dermatologists and (3) users can learn from the AI results. POTENTIAL DISADVANTAGES AND RISKS OF AI USE: (1) Lack of mutual trust can develop due to the decreased patient-physician contact, (2) additional time effort will be necessary to promptly evaluate the AI-classified benign lesions, (3) lack of adequate medical experience to recognize misclassified AI decisions and (4) recontacting a patient in due time in the case of incorrect AI classifications. Still problematic in the use of AI are the medicolegal situation and remuneration. Apps using AI currently cannot provide sufficient assistance based on clinical images of skin cancer.

REQUIREMENTS AND POSSIBLE USE OF SMARTPHONE PROGRAM APPLICATIONS

Smartphone program applications (apps) can be implemented responsibly when the image quality is good, the patient's history can be entered easily, transmission of the image and results are assured and medicolegal aspects as well as remuneration are clarified. Apps can be used for disease-specific information material and can optimize patient care by using teledermatology.

Real-time teledermatology clinics in a tertiary public hospital: A clinical audit

BACKGROUND

Our metropolitan hospital provides a real-time videoconference teledermatology clinic to enable patients in rural and remote Queensland to access a specialist for dermatology care.

METHODS

Retrospective clinical audit of all patient referrals to the videoconference teledermatology clinic for a two-year period.

RESULTS

A total of 483 consultations for 178 patients were conducted by the teledermatology clinic. Most patients were from remote and very remote regions of Queensland with a mean distance from our metropolitan hospital to the patient's town of residence of 1295 km. The most common reason for referral, as per the referral form, was rash (32%), followed by acne (12%) and dermatitis (11%). Most (78%) referrals came from general practitioners. Around 8% of patients seen in the teledermatology clinic were converted to in-person review; 81% of patients were managed via teledermatology, and 10% of patients did not attend the scheduled teleconsultation.

CONCLUSION

The outpatient teledermatology clinic run through the Telehealth Centre of a metropolitan hospital is an effective way of delivering a general dermatology consultation service to rural and remote patients in a timely manner.

Teledermatology in Norway using a mobile phone app

Rashes, ulcers and skin lesions are well suited for telemedicine. We have developed a smartphone app, the first of its kind in Norway, where a referring physician can write a short medical history and take clinical and dermatoscopic photographs with a smartphone, which is then sent to and evaluated by a dermatologist. In the period from June 1st, 2017, to September 1st, 2019, clinical information and photographs of rash and skin lesions from 171 patients were sent by 40 primary care and nursing home physicians via the smartphone app to four dermatologists for diagnosis and therapeutic advice. A wide range of dermatological conditions were diagnosed, most commonly chronic ulcers (17%), eczema (15%) and pigmented lesions (13%). Assessed later by a dermatologist, referral for regular consultations with a specialist was avoided in 119 patients (70%). Sixteen patients (9%) were recommended a regular consultation with a dermatologist; information for prioritization in the specialist healthcare service was then provided. In 36 patients (21%), further measures by the referring physician were recommended. Our experience indicates that many ordinary consultations on rash, ulcers and skin lesions in the specialist healthcare services can be avoided when using the smartphone app.

Skin Doctor Consultations Using Mobile Teledermoscopy: Exploring Virtual Care Business Models

Background: Technological advances have given rise to virtual health care services, resulting in a shift in how traditional health care services are being delivered. Consumers are increasingly demanding efficient access to health care information and services irrespective of time and distance, which is further driving the digitization of health care. This digital economy has created new opportunities for innovative new business models to meet the needs of these new markets. This study explores several in-use business models of virtual health care service platforms that incorporate mobile teledermoscopy (MTD) technologies. By comparing the different building blocks of these commercial ventures, we provide insights on business model choices and discuss the elements that contribute to economically sustainable and viable service offerings incorporating MTD applications. Materials and Methods: We searched the literature on teledermatology, complemented by searches using Google and other mobile app store platforms, and identified seven commercial ventures using teledermoscopy. We analyzed the building blocks of each business model by using an adapted version of Ash Maurya's Lean Canvas and Alexander Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas. Results: We identified three business elements that support the viability, sustainability, and growth of online dermatology services: developing key partnerships, clinician involvement in the design and implementation process, and managing the medico-legal risks and liabilities that are relevant for each country. Conclusions: Leveraging mobile technologies to deliver virtual health care present new business opportunities for health care providers. A better understanding of the business features associated with existing commercial ventures may increase uptake and improve financial viability of MTD applications as a complementary tool to traditional patient care models.