Pediatric teledermatology: observations based on 429 consults.
BACKGROUND
Store-and-forward teledermatology is an emerging means of access for patients with skin disease lacking direct access to dermatologists.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to examine the patient demographics, diagnostic concordance, and treatment patterns in teledermatology for patients younger than 13 years.


METHODS
We conducted a descriptive retrospective cohort study involving 429 patients.


RESULTS
Diagnoses were concordant in 48% of cases, partially concordant in 10%, and discordant in 42%. Management recommendations were concordant in 28% of cases, partially concordant in 36%, and discordant in 36%. Primary care providers tended to underuse topical steroids and overuse topical antifungals and systemic antibiotics. Only 1.4% and 6.0% of patients required repeated teledermatology consultation and in-person dermatology consultation, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Limitations were the inability to generalize the data from the population studied and the chances of error and bias in teledermatology diagnoses.


CONCLUSIONS
Store-and-forward teledermatology can improve diagnostic and therapeutic care for skin disease in children who lack direct access to dermatologists.
Chen
Tina S
TS
Department of Dermatology, University of California, Irvine, California.
Goldyne
Marc E
ME
Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, California.
Mathes
Erin F D
EFD
Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, California; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California.
Frieden
Ilona J
IJ
Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, California; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California.
Gilliam
Amy E
AE
Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, California; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California. Electronic address: dr_amy_g@yahoo.com.
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000458:organization & administration; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*