Teledermatology: The Most Recent Advancements and Applications of Mobile Apps: A Narrative Review

Mobile health improves patient-provider communication and expands access to specialists, especially in underserved areas. Training and empowerment of professionals and patients are among key objectives of mHealth technologies. This study investigated the most recent advancements and applications of mobile apps in dermatology.

We conducted a review of original articles on advancements and applications of mobile apps in dermatology published from 2015 to 2024. Searches spanned Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed using relevant keywords. Two independent authors screened and selected studies based on the inclusion criteria.

The most frequently cited technologies were mobile health, mobile apps, telemedicine, teledermoscopy, artificial intelligence, image processing, deep learning, clinical image analysis, and cloud-based data storage. The primary devices were tablets or smartphones. Image optimization utilized high-performance GPUs-notably the NVIDIA Tesla P4-followed by intensive image processing with neural network algorithms and deep learning libraries such as timm and torchvision for image analysis and processing. Notable applications included teledermoscopy applications, Guaral-1ST, eSkinHealth, and NLR SkinApp. Teledermatology services extend beyond the capture and transmission of skin images for remote triage or consultation. Clinical decision support, referral pathways, and treatment monitoring and management-including tracking therapeutic responses and documenting short- and long-term adverse effects-have also emerged as highly utilized features.

Teledermatology can strengthen frontline healthcare capacity by improving access to resources in underserved settings. Additional applications include statistical reporting and analysis, data storage within electronic health records (EHRs), early detection and prevention of skin cancer, virtual and online consultations, and protection of patient information using barcodes. These benefits are particularly relevant in rural and remote tropical regions where skin diseases are prevalent. Offline-capable systems are especially valuable in contexts with limited internet connectivity.