Moving forward with teledermatology: Operational challenges of a hybrid in-person and virtual practice

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, teledermatology services have become an integral part of our daily practice. In this study, we compared three practice models of an academic department in an urban setting: 1) in-person only, 2) teledermatology only, and 3) hybrid of in-person and teledermatology. Our study demonstrated that older patients prefer in-person visits over teledermatology visits, while non-English-speaking patients prefer teledermatology visits over in-person visits. In addition, teledermatology services can be better utilized for evaluation of acne and psoriasis, as these diagnoses do not require in-person reevaluation, unlike the evaluation of concerning lesions. Considering these findings, our study highlights the need to continuously examine our practice models to understand patient preferences, overcome practice-driven barriers, and ensure the sound allocation of limited health care resources.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Disparity; Health care access; Health equity; Remote care; Teledermatology; Virtual.