Use of Teledermatology in the Management of Psoriasis

Teledermatology involves the use of digital photography, videoconferencing, and secure data transmission to provide dermatologic care from a distance. The purpose of this article is to review the literature related to teledermatology and the management of patients with psoriasis. Various search queries were used to search the PubMed database for original articles only. Separate studies of 10 and 12 patients both showed agreement of skin assessment scores between teledermatology and in-person consultations. A study of 64 patients randomly assigned to either teledermatology or in-office care resulted in similar improvements in patient outcomes scores. Lastly, a cost-effectiveness analysis showed that an online treatment group incurred less costs but similar improvements in outcome scores compared with an in-office treatment group. The evidence presented in this review offers preliminary, yet positive insight into the improvement of health outcomes, reliability of skin assessments, and cost-effectiveness associated with the use of teledermatology and psoriasis.