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Investigators: Erin Warshaw, MD, MS; Research Associates: Nancy Greer, PhD, Yonatan Hillman, BA, Emily Hagel, MS, Roderick MacDonald, MS, and Indulis Rutks, BS. ESP Program Director: Timothy J Wilt, MD, MPH.
Washington (DC): Department of Veterans Affairs; January 2010. |
Download PDF: Complete Report, Executive Summary, Report, Appendices
Telemedicine uses telecommunication technology to transfer medical information. Due to the visual nature of a skin examination, telemedicine, specifically, teledermatology, may be a valuable tool in the diagnosis and management of dermatologic diseases for patients in rural areas (including rural Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and Community Based Outpatient Clinics) who may not have ready access to a dermatologist. Teledermatology may also be useful in primary care settings to triage cases and limit unnecessary dermatology clinic referrals. Although not the focus of this review, teledermatology may also be used to provide follow-up care or monitoring after an in-person dermatology visit. The objectives of this evidence synthesis project were to systematically review and summarize the scientific literature addressing: teledermatology for the diagnosis and management of skin conditions, clinical outcomes, cost, and implementation.
The systematic literature review addressed the following key questions:
Cyber Seminar on Teledermatology for Diagnosis and Management of Skin Conditions
Warshaw EM, Hillman YJ, Greer NL, Hagel EM, MacDonald R, Rutks IR, Wilt TJ. Teledermatology for Diagnosis and Management of Skin Conditions: A Systematic Review. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2010 Oct 29 (Epub ahead of print).