The Shortcomings of Telemedicine in Dermatology

During this pandemic, many people have shifted to working from home. Zoom meetings have now become the daily norm. As the pandemic subsides, while I do believe many in-person meetings and events will resume, there will likely be a significant portion of human interaction which remains digital.

Keeping patient safety in mind during these trying times, there has been a significant push to convert many physician appointments to telemedicine.

Dermatology, especially, was thought to be a slam dunk conversion as our field tends to be so visual. However, through the collective experiences of my colleagues and myself, I have found that telemedicine works best in scenarios where a large component of the physical exam can be ignored.

Dermatology on the other hand, relies extensively on a patient’s physical exam. Obstacles such as camera quality, and limited visibility of rashes or skin lesions, make a diagnosis incredibly challenging. Oftentimes, the entirety of a patient’s body must be examined to come up with the correct diagnosis.

As such, I have found that in-person visits continue to be the gold standard for efficient and accurate diagnosis and treatment. However, some types of visits such as isotretinoin follow-ups or resolving rashes can be done through telemedicine.

At Apollo Dermatology, we will carefully guide you to determine which type of visit is most appropriate for your medical concern.