- While many have become aware of the advantage of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to remind the reader of the reasons why telemedicine is so useful and:
- increased access and allows to provide care, even when in person isn’t possible, when we’re not able to get in, or people are afraid to come in,
- it enables triaging. It thus enables to decide who needs in person care. So a lot of people who wanted to seek care didn’t really need to come in and so dermatologists are able to be more efficient and are able to avoid them having to come in.
- Additionally has proven quite essential in the COVID crisis:
- It saves personal protective equipment, big deal where there was such a shortage of PPE in the U.S. But if we’re able to avoid visits in person, those don’t require PPE and that means not only are we not wasting it, we’re saving more for the situations and the providers that do need it.
- Care can be provided while maintaining social distancing and minimizing risks for viral transmission.
Jules Lipoff. Teledermatology in the US. 8th World Congress of Teledermatology, Skin Imaging and AI in Skin diseases – November 2020
