[First study of teledermatology in Mexico. A new public health tool].
BACKGROUND
Telemedicine has been used for more than 50 years. Dermatology has been one of the specialties where it has reached great development (Teledermatology). When the observation is made simultaneously by the outreach specialist and by the non-specialist at the workplace, it is called synchronous teledermatology, and asynchronous when information is filmed, stored, and presented to the specialist at a later time.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate efficacy and reliability of asynchronous teledermatology for adequate diagnosis of skin diseases.


METHODS
Fifty patients with dermatologic disorders were seen in a poor tropical rural zone, first by non-dermatologists in conventional consultation and then by dermatologists to obtain a diagnosis (gold standard); the latter step consisted of evaluation of filmed lesions by another group of dermatologist later on.


RESULTS
There was a high concordance of diagnosis between the two groups of dermatologists when kappa analysis was performed.


CONCLUSIONS
It appears important to use these technological advances in developing-countries to improve delivery of health care.
Lepe
Verónica
V
Hospital Central Dr. Ignacio Morones Prieto, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. México.
Moncada
Benjamín
B
Castanedo-Cázares
Juan Pablo
JP
Martínez-Rodríguez
Alejandra
A
Mercado-Ceja
Sergio M
SM
Gordillo-Moscoso
Antonio
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003880:Dermatology / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017216:Telemedicine