Nuances in Training During the Age of Teledermatology

Abstract

COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, and within the following 2 months, most states had issued mandatory stay-at-home orders, leaving many patients without access to outpatient care. Similar to many other outpatient-based specialties, dermatology quickly adopted telemedicine into clinical practice, and this expansion of virtual communication provided (1) increased access for patients living in remote areas, (2) ease of multidisciplinary collaboration, and (3) new opportunities for training and education. This article highlights the caveats of teledermatology, such as the need for excellent visual diagnostic skills and the vulnerability of patient privacy and protected information. Additionally, as teledermatology is poised to further expand in the future, it is critical to reflect on patient safety as well as its clinical efficacy in comparison to in-person evaluation.