A Review of International Teledermatology (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The use of teledermatology has been evolving slowly for the delivery of health care to remote and underserved populations. Advancements in technology and the recent COVID-19 pandemic have hastened its use internationally. OBJECTIVE An international survey was done to assess teledermatology use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS In addition to an updated literature review from 2015 to 2021, a survey instrument was formatted in Google Forms in English and distributed electronically to international personal contacts of the authors, as well as to international dermatology and teledermatology societies of members of the International League of Dermatological Societies and members of the International Society of Teledermatology. Answers from US dermatologists were excluded. RESULTS 110 survey responses were received from 33 countries. Barriers to the use of teledermatology have fallen considerably in the last year. CONCLUSIONS Teledermatology use has increased significantly in recent years in both government-sponsored and private health care systems and individual practices. There are no recognized international practice guidelines and there is variable use within countries. Many barriers remain to increasing the use of teledermatology.