Evaluation of Teledermatology Practice Guidelines and Recommendations for Improvement

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Dermatology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated teledermatology adoption in dermatology practices.
• Existing teledermatology clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) lack quality evaluations, potentially impacting service implementation.
• This study addresses the need to assess the quality of teledermatology CPGs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality of published teledermatology CPGs using a validated appraisal tool.
• To provide actionable recommendations for improving future teledermatology guideline development.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search identified teledermatology CPGs.
• Three guidelines met inclusion criteria and were assessed by three researchers using the Appraisal of Guidelines and Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool.

Main Results:

• Three teledermatology CPGs were evaluated, showing strengths in objectives, stakeholder involvement, and clarity.
• Areas for improvement identified include rigor of development, applicability, and editorial independence.
• All assessed guidelines were deemed of sufficient quality for adoption.

Conclusions:

• While current teledermatology CPGs are adoptable, incorporating the GRADE framework would enhance development rigor.
• Assessing financial interests and external reviews can further improve guideline transparency and reduce bias.
• The findings offer specific targets for enhancing the quality of teledermatology CPGs.