Exposure to teledermatology and resident preparedness for future practice: Results of a national survey

Abstract

Teledermatology (TD) is an emerging modality for providing remote dermatologic care with high diagnostic and management concordance compared to face-to-face clinic dermatology. TD training among dermatology residency programs in the United States has not been characterized. We disseminated a survey to all dermatology residents at ACGME accredited programs in the United States to explore the prevalence and distribution of TD training and trainee perceptions of TD. One hundred out of a potential 1170 responses (RR 8.5%) were collected from residents in every geographic location from all years in training: 67/100 of residents reported that TD was practiced at their institutions, although at these sites only 21/100 residents participated in clinical sessions. Residents with TD exposure were more likely to feel comfortable managing a TD consult after residency (p<0.001), but were not more likely to incorporate teledermatology into their future plans. Results of this study provide insight into the impact of TD exposure on resident perceptions of TD and demonstrate the need for expanding TD training across all dermatology residency programs.