April 19, 2023
According to the Global Burden of Skin Disease project, skin diseases affect up to 70% of the global population. The evidence also shows that a large percentage of this group doesn’t have sufficient access to dermatology specialists. However, the broader adoption of telehealth software opens up opportunities for more dermatology patients to get help quicker and at a more affordable price.
Teledermatology encompasses all dermatological services that can be provided via telehealth software. A dermatologist can conduct annual check-ups, diagnose skin conditions, and prescribe treatment plans using tools for secure audio/video conferencing, image sharing, and messaging.
Telemedicine for dermatology allows patients to receive recommendations and non-invasive care for their skin conditions without the need to travel to the doctor’s office, saving costs and time.
Telemedicine solutions for dermatology could have different underlying technology, but most have five capabilities essential for providing quality care to patients.
Secure messaging, image, and video sharing High-quality video and audio conferencing Appointment scheduling
Referrals management Electronic prescriptions
Skin condition monitoring with the help of RPM tools Medical image and data analysis
Pattern identification Personalized prevention strategies
Video, audio, image, and text library
Patient knowledge assessment tools
Session records’ secure storage Symptoms and health log updates
Integration with EHR/EMR systems
Compliance with all industry privacy and security regulations Secure data transfer and communication protocols
Role-based access Two-step authorization
Virtual dermatology relies on practice models that include high-quality images and/or video chats for initial diagnostics and further personalized treatment plans more than other telemedicine solutions.
Chart title: Teledermatology practice models
Data source: journals.plos.org — Practice models and challenges in teledermatology: a study of collective experiences from teledermatologists.
A telemedicine platform enables patients to safely store and exchange messages, symptom logs, lab test results, and images or video recordings of their skin condition with their care provider. In exchange, the patient can receive skin care recommendations, prescriptions, and referrals to other specialists.
A telemedicine app helps virtual care providers to communicate with their patients in real time and diagnose particular skin conditions handling online dermatology appointments and examining patients through video and remote monitoring solutions.
Usually, virtual dermatology can be applied in the same cases as in-office consultations.
Physicians can assess patients in the order they come in, prioritize their cases based on severity, and determine the next steps: whether a patient needs an offline appointment, a diagnostic procedure, or an online consultation.
General practitioners can consult a dermatologist via a telemedicine app, or a dermatologist can refer a patient to another specialist, care facility, or offline care.
Online dermatologists can review patients’ medical history, symptom logs, images or videos to answer patients’ questions, diagnose skin conditions, and provide treatment recommendations via video consultation or messaging.
Virtual dermatology professionals can prescribe medical treatments to be ordered online. They can also validate the refills of the prescription if necessary or review the patient's adverse reaction claims.
Telemedicine for dermatology patients that received in-hospital care can help them stay connected to their provider after discharge without the need to come to the office frequently while still closely monitoring their skin condition.
Telemedicine software allows dermatologists to diagnose and treat multiple skin conditions accurately. However, it is not suitable in some cases. Therefore, providers must be flexible when offering virtual and offline patient support.
DermEngine is an AI-powered teledermatology solution by MetaOptima Technology used for imaging, documentation, and analysis of skin conditions. It uses award-winning intelligent technology to help dermatology care providers detect the most elusive diseases, including various skin cancers. Coupled with the remote diagnostic device MoleScope, this telemedicine app is easy to use and affordable for clinic-based dermatologists and independent practitioners.
The Department of Dermatology at UConn Health offers patients a way to stay safe from hospital-borne infections, cut care costs, and save time by connecting to their dermatologist via telemedicine software. With the help of both store-and-forward and live consulting teledermatology models, UConn Health medical professionals reach vulnerable groups of patients who can’t travel to the board-certified dermatologist’s office, follow up with patients after discharge, and prescribe treatment refills.
Enable patients to request appointments, message their doctor, and get complete information about their condition – all via a patient portal.
View, manage, and share patient health information securely between different specialists by connecting telehealth software to EMR/EHR systems.
Facilitate payments for virtual visits and get revenue faster by connecting your telehealth services software to health insurance and financial software.
Order and receive patients’ test results faster by facilitating secure data transfer between your telemedicine app and third-party laboratory information systems.
Examine your patients’ condition in real time, monitor it 24/7 remotely, and even conduct treatment procedures during virtual visits with the help of smart medical devices.
Set task reminders and distribute technical, medical, and facility resources according to each specialist’s virtual appointment schedule.
It is vital for providers to have realistic expectations and understand teledermatology solution’s strong and weak sides before starting the adoption journey.
Whether you want to turn your organization into a virtual hospital or add telemedicine to your dermatology services, implementing best practices will contribute to your project’s success.
Include dermatology specialists – the solutions’ primary users – in the implementation team.
Identify all workflows that should be improved to determine the required features.
Provide appropriate usage and security training to all involved employees.
Choose a reliable vendor with a good support team, monitor your solution’s performance continuously, and update when needed.
Assure the solution’s full integration into your organization’s healthcare IT ecosystem.
Provide your patients with an easy way to pay for telemedicine services to speed up the reimbursement cycle.
Make sure your software is HIPAA-compliant and follows necessary security guidelines for telemedicine.
Clearly understand the goals you want to achieve with the help of telemedicine software.
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