Teledermatology in medical student, postgraduate trainee, and global dermatology education: A systematic review

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical students and residents in the U.S. and globally have gained more exposure to teledermatology, both for the purposes of clinical practice and education.

We conducted a systematic review to assess outcomes from teledermatology interventions for dermatology trainees in the U.S. and globally in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA).

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL for articles written in English and published database inception to November 20, 2022.

In total, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. Outcomes reported ranged broadly from resident-provider concordance rates, diagnostic accuracy in comparison to control groups, number of patients seen, and self-reported satisfaction and improvement. Generally, studies indicated high satisfaction rates and improvement in educational outcomes among medical students, residents, and other trainees in the global health setting.

Because of the heterogeneity of study design and outcomes reported, meta-analysis could not be performed.

Teledermatology can be successfully deployed for clinical care and education domestically and in the global health setting.