Maddukuri Spandana, Patel Jay, Lipoff Jules B
Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA USA.
Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA.
Curr Dermatol Rep. 2021;10(2):40-47. doi: 10.1007/s13671-021-00329-2. Epub 2021 Mar 12.
Dermatologists have been at the forefront of researching telemedicine to expand access to care. The current COVID-19 pandemic has prompted even greater expansion and implementation of teledermatology. This review discusses the research examining the potential impact of teledermatology addressing disparities in care.
Teledermatology appears to increase access to dermatology given expanded means to deliver care. Specifically, recent studies have found increased access among Medicaid-insured, resource-poor urban and rural, and elderly populations. Teledermatology implementation also facilitates education among providers at different levels of training. Still, as some patients have inconsistent access to the required technology, increased reliance on telemedicine may also potentially increase disparities for some populations.
Teledermatology may serve to reduce disparities in health care access in many underserved and marginalized communities. Future research should continue to study implementation, especially given the expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, teledermatology may play an important role in ensuring equitable care access for all.
皮肤科医生一直处于研究远程医疗以扩大医疗服务可及性的前沿。当前的新冠疫情促使远程皮肤病学得到了更大规模的扩展和应用。本综述讨论了有关研究，这些研究探讨了远程皮肤病学对解决医疗服务差距的潜在影响。
鉴于提供医疗服务的方式得到扩展，远程皮肤病学似乎增加了皮肤科医疗服务的可及性。具体而言，近期研究发现，医疗补助保险人群、资源匮乏的城乡地区人群以及老年人群获得医疗服务的机会有所增加。远程皮肤病学的实施还促进了不同培训水平的医疗服务提供者之间的教育。然而，由于一些患者获取所需技术的机会不一致，对远程医疗的更多依赖也可能会给某些人群带来差距扩大的问题。
远程皮肤病学可能有助于减少许多服务不足和边缘化社区在医疗服务可及性方面的差距。未来的研究应继续关注实施情况，特别是考虑到新冠疫情期间的扩展情况。最终，远程皮肤病学可能在确保所有人都能公平获得医疗服务方面发挥重要作用。
