Digital photography for patient counseling in dermatology--a study

To evaluate the use of digital photography in dermatology as an aid to patient counseling and follow-up.

Two hundred patients attending the dermatology Out-Patient Department at our centre over a 1-year period were included. Half the group, randomly assigned (G1), had their clinical photographs taken and were counseled using basic imaging software, their images and other relevant images regarding their disease and possible treatment outcomes. The control group (G0) was counseled without using any kind of imaging. Patient satisfaction was scored in both groups after the initial counseling session and then after 2 months.

The test group (G1) gave statistically significant higher scores at both readings compared with the control group (G0).

Digital imaging can be a very effective tool for the dermatologist for patient counseling.