Progress in Australian teledermatology.
Because of their remoteness, the majority of rural towns in Australia are disadvantaged in terms of access to dermatological services. Telemedicine offers one solution. Since the mid-1990s, Australian dermatologists have experimented with telemedicine as an adjunct to clinical practice. The technical viability of teledermatology was first demonstrated in 1997. In 1999, the accuracy and reliability of teledermatology were demonstrated in a real-life urban setting. In 2001, Broken Hill (in western New South Wales), a location remote from dermatology services, served as a trial site for the institution of teledermatology as the primary method of accessing dermatological services. High patient and general practitioner acceptability and positive medical outcomes were demonstrated, but the study also revealed unexpected barriers and pitfalls in the effective operation of rural teledermatology.
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Department of Dermatology, St George Hospital, Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia.
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Shumack
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D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D003880:Dermatology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000628:therapy