Value of DermaCheckup as a novel dedicated digital health solution for teledermatology

Daily healthcare is becoming increasingly costly and resource-intensive, requiring vast human and financial resources. The primary aim of the present study was to present the initial findings regarding the diagnostic accuracy of a novel telemedicine platform, DermaCheckup, when compared with face-to-face clinical appointments. The secondary aim was to assess whether patient management plans produced via this telemedicine platform differ from those decided upon following a face-to-face dermatological consultation. The difference in time to diagnosis between the tele-dermatology platform and standard care was also assessed. The DermaCheckup teledermatology service was implemented in March, 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in the UK. The present study assessed patients who underwent a face-to-face clinical consultation, who, prior to visiting the clinic, used the teledermatology platform; thus, the diagnosis made via teledermatology was able to be compared to that made following standard care. Comparisons were made between diagnosis, process of diagnosis and the time to diagnosis. A total of 29 consecutive patients entering one UK dermatology clinic were included in the study. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in face-to-face visits being challenging, owing to the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2. This limited the number of patients recruited into the study. The DermaCheckup application exhibited a very good level of agreement in terms of diagnosis with traditional face-to-face appointments. In the present study cohort, 93% of the patients could have been managed safely or referred immediately for a biopsy, thus avoiding a visit to the hospital. A substantial important improvement was also observed in the efficiencies that can be potentially achieved; the time to manage a patient decreased between 46-22-fold without considering the waiting time required between the time of organizing an appointment to the actual appointment.