A country-wide teledermatoscopy service in Estonia shows results comparable to those in experimental settings in...

Teledermatoscopy accuracy has been examined in experimental settings and is recommended for primary care despite lacking real-world implementation evidence. A teledermatoscopy service has been provided in Estonia since 2013, where lesions are evaluated based on the patient's or general practitioner's suggestion.

The management plan and diagnostic accuracy of a real-world store-and-forward teledermatoscopy service for melanoma diagnosis were evaluated.

A retrospective study analyzed 4748 cases from 3403 patients using the service between October 16, 2017 and August 30, 2019 by matching country-wide databases. Management plan accuracy was calculated as the percentage of melanoma found that was managed correctly. Diagnostic accuracy parameters were sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values.

Management plan accuracy for melanoma detection was 95.5% (95% CI, 77.2-99.9). Diagnostic accuracy showed a sensitivity of 90.48% (95% CI, 69.62-98.83) and a specificity of 92.57% (95% CI, 91.79-93.31).

Matching the lesions was limited to SNOMED CT location standard precision. Diagnostic accuracy was calculated based on a combination of diagnosis and management plan data.

Teledermatoscopy for detecting and managing melanoma in real-world clinical practice displays results comparable with those in experimental setting studies.