Department of Pediatrics, Division of Dermatology, University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital.
Dermatol Online J. 2021 Oct 15;27(10). doi: 10.5070/D3271055622.
Social distancing requirements associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have allowed for the expansion of different healthcare delivery modalities. Namely, there has been an increase in the utilization of remote diagnostic services for both primary and specialist care. Dermatology care has traditionally been inaccessible to many pediatric patients; this is due in part to a limited number of practicing pediatric dermatologists, as well as a maldistribution of the pediatric dermatology workforce with the majority of providers located in large metropolitan areas. There is therefore a need for an accessible alternative for care to reach underserved patient populations. This commentary highlights evidence from recent studies on remote dermatology care (teledermatology) and how it has not only improved access to dermatologic care but also quality of care. Although teledermatology does not completely replace traditional in-person visits and is limited by poor broadband access in traditionally underserved areas, teledermatology can, in some instances, be a cost-effective and efficient alternative for pediatric patients otherwise lacking dermatologic care.
由于 COVID-19 大流行期间的社交距离要求，不同的医疗保健提供方式得以扩展。具体而言，初级保健和专科保健都更多地使用远程诊断服务。皮肤病学护理在传统上无法为许多儿科患者提供服务；这部分是由于执业儿科皮肤科医生人数有限，以及儿科皮肤科工作人员的分布不均，大多数提供者都在大城市地区。因此，需要一种可及的替代护理方式来满足服务不足的患者群体。本评论强调了最近关于远程皮肤病学护理（远程医疗）的研究证据，以及它如何不仅改善了皮肤病学护理的可及性，而且提高了护理质量。虽然远程医疗并不能完全替代传统的面对面就诊，并且在传统服务不足的地区受到宽带接入不佳的限制，但在某些情况下，对于缺乏皮肤病学护理的儿科患者来说，远程医疗可能是一种具有成本效益且高效的替代方式。
