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

A decreasing number of dermatologists and an increasing number of patients in Western countries have led to a relative lack of clinicians providing expert dermatologic care. This, in turn, has prolonged wait times for patients to be examined, putting them at risk. Store-and-forward teledermatology i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical Internet research 2018-10, Vol.20 (10), p.e11871-e11871
Main Authors: Brinker, Titus Josef, Hekler, Achim, von Kalle, Christof, Schadendorf, Dirk, Esser, Stefan, Berking, Carola, Zacher, Martina T, Sondermann, Wiebke, Grabe, Niels, Steeb, Theresa, Utikal, Jochen Sven, French, Lars E, Enk, Alexander H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Care and treatment
Dermatology
Literature reviews
Medical care
Patients
Quality management
Quality of care
Telemedicine
Video conferencing
Viewpoint
Waiting times
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Summary:A decreasing number of dermatologists and an increasing number of patients in Western countries have led to a relative lack of clinicians providing expert dermatologic care. This, in turn, has prolonged wait times for patients to be examined, putting them at risk. Store-and-forward teledermatology improves patient access to dermatologists through asynchronous consultations, reducing wait times to obtain a consultation. However, live video conferencing as a synchronous service is also frequently used by practitioners because it allows immediate interaction between patient and physician. This raises the question of which of the two approaches is superior in terms of quality of care and convenience. There are pros and cons for each in terms of technical requirements and features. This viewpoint compares the two techniques based on a literature review and a clinical perspective to help dermatologists assess the value of teledermatology and determine which techniques would be valuable in their practice.
ISSN:1438-8871
1439-4456
1438-8871
DOI:10.2196/11871