Response to Ranpariya et al.'s 'Direct-to-Consumer Teledermatology Platforms May Have Inherent Conflicts of Interest'

    January 2022 in “ Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology ”
    Maria Karim, Elizabeth G. Klein, Daniel Gutierrez, Prince Adotama, Kristen Lo Sicco
    TLDR Direct-to-consumer teledermatology platforms have financial conflicts of interest and lack proper patient care and follow-up.
    The response to Ranpariya et al.'s letter highlights several limitations of direct-to-consumer (DTC) teledermatology platforms, including inherent financial conflicts of interest and the promotion of non-evidence-based therapies like biotin gummies for hair growth. These platforms also lack follow-up and individualized patient care, making it difficult to monitor medication side effects, such as depression from finasteride. Additionally, the absence of objective measures like trichoscopic analysis and standardized scalp photography hinders the assessment of treatment efficacy. Furthermore, DTC platforms are restricted to FDA-approved therapies, limiting options like low-dose oral minoxidil, which requires careful monitoring. Dermatologists are encouraged to counsel patients on these limitations and risks.
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