Investigation of the effectiveness of teledermatology in the diagnosis of skin lesions in pediatric patients

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Teledermatology is the use of communications technology to enable the remote evaluation of skin lesions. Dermatological complaints are common among pediatric patients and should be handled differently than adults. The aim of this study is to group the dermatological lesions of pediatric patients who visited a dermatology outpatient clinic and to investigate in which groups the teledermatology method is more effective.METHODS: This is a prospective observational study. Images of skin lesions, which were examined face-to-face in a dermatology outpatient clinic, were transmitted to another dermatologist via telecommunication. The diagnoses by the physician who examined patients face-to-face were compared with the diagnoses by the teledermatologist. Informed consent was obtained from the parents or legal representatives of all patients participating in this study.RESULTS: A total of 93 pediatric patients were evaluated. In our study, the diagnoses by a dermatologist who evaluated patients face-to-face and the diagnoses by a teledermatologist were in agreement with 74.2% of the time. There was 100% agreement between both dermatologists for the diagnosis of acne and scabies. The diagnosis for verruca was consistent with 91.7% of the time, and for atopic dermatitis, it was 72.7%. There was a 25% consistency between both dermatologists on the diagnosis of contact dermatitis. The diagnostic consistency between both physicians was 53% in the erythematous disease group, 89% in the papulopustular group, and 70% in the pigmented group.CONCLUSION: Teledermatology is a reliable diagnostic method that shortens the waiting time of patients and provides a quick consultation with a dermatologist. When using the teledermatology method, it is important to know which skin lesions or disease groups are more accurately diagnosed.