Inpatient teledermatology during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents a global health crisis in which personal protective equipment has become increasingly limited. Dermatologists are poised to use technology, such as teledermatology, to innovate existing workflows and optimize dermatologic care. The state of Ohio has emerged as a leader in the United States with its response to the COVID-19 crisis. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, we developed a simple algorithm and strict guidelines to prioritize telemedicine specifically for inpatient dermatology consults. This algorithm was quickly accepted by our hospital leadership and adopted by other inpatient consultative services. In this Viewpoint, we share our experience with early adoption of teledermatology in the inpatient consultative setting in light of the COVID-19 crisis. We also highlight the limitations, ethical considerations, and areas for future research with respect to the implementation of teledermatology.

Keywords

• teledermatology
• store-and-forward
• telemedicine
• covid-19
• coronavirus
• inpatient dermatology