Reliability and Accuracy of Inpatient Teledermatology in Asian Patients

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Medical Informatics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Teledermatology is proven effective in outpatient settings, enhancing access and outcomes.
• Limited research exists on inpatient teledermatology, especially within Asian populations.
• Local data are needed to assess inpatient teledermatology's utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy and reliability of store-and-forward teledermatology for inpatient dermatology consultations.
• To assess its applicability in an Asian patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study conducted from April to June 2022 at a Hong Kong tertiary referral center.
• Consecutive inpatient dermatology consultations were reviewed.
• Two dermatologists independently assessed patients: one in-house and one via store-and-forward teledermatology.
• Concordance of preferred and differential diagnoses was the primary outcome.

Main Results:

• 190 Asian patients were included in the study.
• 80% concordance for preferred diagnoses (kappa=0.75) and 97.4% for differential diagnoses (kappa=0.76) were observed.
• Diagnostic accuracy was 68.8% for inpatient dermatologists and 59.7% for the teledermatologist.
• Higher quality clinical photographs correlated with better diagnostic agreement (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Inpatient teledermatology demonstrates reliability and accuracy in real-world Asian settings.
• Its adoption can improve specialist accessibility and patient care.
• Further utilization of teledermatology in inpatient settings is recommended.