Where Are We With Teledermatology? Two Years in the Wake of COVID-19 (Preprint)

Abstract

UNSTRUCTURED Much attention was brought to teledermatology during the COVID-19 pandemic, but how has this trend held up? Two years on, we review the trends of teledermatology in our institute and globally, and discuss the role of teledermatology moving forward. Data from our institution indicated a lower uptake of teledermatology compared to global trends. The number of teleconsults planned increased with coordinated institutional efforts to bolster the use of teledermatology in response to the COVID-19 situation, however, the number of teleconsults conducted remained largely stable between 1%-2% of total consultations. Reasons for declining teledermatology included a perceived lower quality of care, having to pay the same price as a physical consultation and technological barriers. While the increase in accessibility to dermatological care and cost savings of teledermatology may be less pronounced in highly-connected city-states like Singapore, teledermatology plays a salient role in improving service options, flexibility of pivoting to virtual care in times of need, and offering an effective and feasible model of care in various settings.