The Use of Telemedicine in the Diagnosis of Skin Diseases: Review of Clinical Outcomes

Introduction: Tele-dermatology is considered by telemedicine service providers about more than a decade. Many reasons, including safety, high diagnostic accuracy compared with physical examination, image-based diagnosis and relatively low cost for installing required systems are making Tele-dermatology successful remarkable. This study introduced Tele-dermatology and its kind and the results of different studies were conducted in clinical area in compare with physical examination is investigated. Method: This review article was done using available library resources and searching online database and articles which published between 2000–2014 in Tele-dermatology field were assessed. Results: Findings showed that, in average the conformity of the proposed diagnosis in skin disease for Tele-dermatology compared with visiting were (79.4 %), for treatment plans were (76.7 %) and reduction of attended visiting was(% 55.6). Also about the servicing fees skin a significant reduction of direct and indirect costs of skin care services show cost- effectiveness of Tele-dermatology. Conclusion: Although most of the researchers and experts agree with the effectiveness of Teledermatology for providing professional health care services and increasing the accessibility of these services, this method is not the final solution to overcome all difficulties related to the shortage of human and financial resources in healthcare system. It should be considered as a complementary to resolve some problems in providing high quality healthcare.