Can teledermatology meet the needs of the remote and rural population?

BACKGROUND

Teledermatology has been in use as a supplemental tool in dermatology for many years. This study will focus on its use for dermatology patients with suspected skin cancer, in the remote and rural setting.

OBJECTIVES

Evaluation of the efficacy and accuracy of skin cancer detection using teledermatology.

METHODS

Literature review from last inclusion date of The Cochrane review of 2016 to August 2020. Due to high heterogeneity, resulting data were synthesised narratively.

RESULTS

All 6 studies agreed that 'high-quality' and dermoscopy images improve accuracy of diagnosis. All 6 studies showed its potential usage as 1) supplemental to face-to-face, 2) triage, or 3) a way of providing a specialist service where none is available. None considered it an adequate replacement for a traditional clinic setting.

CONCLUSION

Teledermatology has enormous potential but more robust evidence is required.