[Remote dermatological advice: a survey in three French regions]

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Medical Informatics
• Telemedicine

Background:

• General practitioners and specialists frequently request dermatological advice using digital images.
• This practice is time-consuming and lacks established protocols.
• A survey was conducted to understand the scope and nature of these requests.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the extent and nature of remote dermatological advice requests.
• To identify the types of requests and the practitioners involved.
• To evaluate the time efficiency and impact of remote consultations.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was distributed to dermatologists in university hospitals and private practices across three French regions.
• Dermatologists recorded details of specialized requests over two months.
• Data collected included practitioner status, request mode, disease type, question asked, time spent, and outcome.

Main Results:

• 287 requests were analyzed from 30 participating dermatologists.
• Most requests originated from general practitioners and private practice dermatologists.
• Requests were often sent via non-secure email (49%) or smartphone (29%).
• Advice was provided within 5 minutes for nearly half of requests, avoiding a formal consultation in 60% of cases.
• Key areas included pediatric/cancer patient dermatology, general diseases, and wound management.

Conclusions:

• Remote dermatological reviews are valuable, facilitating efficient advice and avoiding unnecessary consultations.
• The study identified key referring physicians and highlighted the utility of digital image-based consultations.
• Significant medico-legal concerns exist regarding data security, necessitating organized protocols for dermatologists.