Dermatology teleconsultations to Central Prison: experience at East Carolina University

To review our experience with dermatology teleconsultations between East Carolina University School of Medicine in Greenville and Central Prison in Raleigh, NC.

Consultation forms kept on file in the Department of Internal Medicine served as the source of data. One physician reviewed the forms from the initial 22 months of our dermatology teleconsultation service to Central Prison. Patient demographics and the diagnoses made by the consulting physician were recorded. Recommendations were tabulated as either diagnostic or therapeutic. Diagnoses and recommendations for known HIV-positive individuals were separately recorded.

One hundred thirty-eight dermatology teleconsultations were performed over the 22-month period. Seventy two per cent of the patients seen were African-American. The average age was 32 years. One hundred fifty-nine diagnoses were made. The most common problems were eczema and acneiform eruptions. Fifty-nine diagnostic and 252 therapeutic recommendations were made.

Consultants generally were confident of their diagnoses and management decisions. Dermatologists can assist primary care physicians through telemedicine consultation.