Teledermatology Services During COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience of a Tertiary Care Center in Western India
January 2022
in “
Indian Dermatology Online Journal
”
TLDR Teledermatology effectively managed most skin conditions remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The retrospective observational analysis of 2117 patients using teledermatology services during the COVID-19 pandemic found that 83.75% of patients could be managed solely through telemedicine, while 17.42% needed in-person consultation. The most frequently treated conditions via telemedicine were dermatophytosis (17.82%), hair disorders such as androgenetic alopecia and telogen effluvium (13.48%), acne (13.42%), and dermatitis (11.05%). The study concluded that teledermatology is an effective method for managing a majority of patients, particularly in areas with a shortage of dermatologists, and its usefulness could extend beyond the pandemic.