The COVID-19 outbreak has emerged with unprecedented challenges. It forced billion-dollar industries to adopt new technologies and innovative solutions to survive. 

Healthcare is one of the industries which underwent tremendous changes in order to continue providing quality and rapid care to patients even when the movements are restricted.  

One such change is the virtual care delivery using telehealth apps. Patients are finding it so useful during COVID-19 that 66% of patients said that they are willing to use it. 

With patients preferring virtual medical consultation over in-house meetings with healthcare providers, several healthcare specialists are switching to telemedicine. 

Dermatologists are one of them! Let’s explore some ways how the dermatology telehealth app affects healthcare during the pandemic. 

3 ways teledermatology affects healthcare in the pandemic  

Skin issues are generally non-life-threatening. And this is why telemedicine - which isn’t recommended for any emergency - the best solution for dermatology. 

1. Contactless Care Delivery

A traditional dermatology practice involves examining the skin issues of the patients while being physically close to them. 

Such care delivery practice isn’t recommended by government and medical schools as it increases the risk of virus transmission. 

Other close contacts while visiting the dermatologists involve using public transport, sitting in crowded waiting rooms and exchanging documents with recipients and other staff. 

But with dermatology telehealth apps, there is no need for patients to visit the clinic. They can talk to dermatologists from the comfort of their homes via a secure video call. 

And features enabling patients to share images of the skin and lab results allow dermatologists to provide quality care even online. 

So this way, it actualizes quality care and contactless care delivery. 

2. Easily Accessible Skin Care

We all are scared and the fear is real - the fear of getting infected with COVID-19!

The COVID-19 fear is the biggest reason behind people with non-COVID-19-related symptoms postponing their care. 

Since skin issues are non-life-threatening, people happily delay it and it sometimes worsens their condition. 

Here, only the teledermatology solution eliminates their biggest fear of getting infected with COVID-19. 

Using it, they can access the urgent attention of dermatologists virtually and safely. And this lets them cure skin issues before it worsens. 

So, in other words, telemedicine solutions facilitate patients to get quality skincare even during the healthcare crisis.

3. Affordable Care

People have already been suffering very badly from the financial crisis due to COVID-19. 

Though many of them are covered by private and public insurance, they still need to spend huge on travelling and medications. 

They also need to take time or day out of their work to visit the dermatologist which impacts their income negatively. 

The telehealth app for dermatology solves all of these challenges in a single shot. 

First of all, it supports medical insurance. Secondly, there is no need to travel. 

And last but most importantly, patients don’t need to take time out of their workday to travel to an appointment. 

This results in affordable care which is very important during the time of the pandemic. 

So, if we conclude, the telemedicine for dermatology solution actualizes safe (contactless), accessible and affordable skincare! 

Check out the top 5 Dermatology apps

1. SkinVision 

It is developed by an Amsterdam-based company. It easily evaluates risk factors for skin cancer and lets patients track the potentially problematic moles. So far, its sophisticated algorithm has found over 27000 cases of skin cancer. 

2. iDoc24

It is an online dermatology service available in 160 countries and in 7 languages. To start with it, the patient simply needs to add the picture of the skin issue and add the symptoms. And within 24 hours, the dermatologist responds to the concern. 

3. First Derm 

It is developed by the same team of iDoc24. It also works similar to iDoc24. It gives access to a dermatologist through a connected device. 

4. CureSkin 

It is an AI-based app developed by two engineers who previously worked in Google. It asked users to add images of skin issues and to answer a few questions. Based on this data, it recommends an eight-week skincare regimen.  

5. VisualDx

VisualDX is the best telehealth platform. In addition to providing a telehealth platform for other medical specialties, it offers a platform for dermatologists. 

How to start using telemedicine with Dermatologists?  

It all starts with you booking an appointment with a dermatologist using the app or checking with your current dermatologist if he is providing virtual care.

While booking the appointment, you are asked to add the public health card details or private insurance details. 

If you are not covered under health insurance, the average cost for a single televisit would be around $100. 

Once the dermatologist accepts your appointment, you will get a notification with a confirmation message along with a link to join the video call. 

Here, it is worth mentioning that different dermatologists use different mediums to conduct virtual medical consultations. 

Some use Skype or Zoom. Some use built-in televisit capabilities of their EHR system. While some use dedicated teledermatology apps. 

The few things you require are a smartphone/tablet/computer and an internet connection. 

You can share photos of your skin issues with a dermatologist and ask for an ePrescription as well as a sick note. 

At the end of your televisit, the app asks you to select the preferred nearby pharmacy. 

Once you select it, the app automatically sends the prescription to that pharmacy and you can either pick it yourself or the pharmacy will deliver it to your doorstep. 

When telemedicine works for dermatology — and when it doesn’t

Telemedicine works best for follow-up meetings if patients’ skin issue is improving since the previous medical attention. 

It also works best for people who do not have any skin-related severe issues, but just want to maintain their skin in good health.

Additionally, for common skin issues such as acne, eczema, hives, sunburn, a dermatology telehealth app is recommended by healthcare professionals. 

Whereas, the annual skin checks, potential skin cancer diagnoses and cosmetic procedures are not feasible via telemedicine.

A word from someone who initiated Teledermatology 

The entire healthcare system has been struggling to cope up with demand. It is evident to implement and leverage the technology. 

According to the survey conducted by CIHI in 2017, 56% of Canadians have to wait more than 4 weeks to see a medical specialist. 

According to dermatologist and DermaGO co-founder Dr. Marc-André Doré, “It is clear to us that the best way to improve access to dermatology is through telemedicine. Whether it's to obtain a first or second opinion, with DermaGO a dermatologist is only ever a few clicks away and users don't need a referral from a general practitioner.”  

How DermaGo app aims to reduce wait times for dermatologist consults?

DermaGo is a web-based app that enables dermatologists to consult with patients online to cut the wait time. 

It has been created by a team of dermatologists in Quebec who got the idea after seeing an increase in patients.

According to one of the team members, “Dermatology is a high demand specialty. Our system can’t absorb the demand.” 

Using the DermaGo app, patients can upload photos of their skin issues and receive a reply from the available dermatologist. 

The consulting fee depends on how quickly a user is seeking medical consultation. 

The DermaGo eases the major challenge of the patients. In remote areas, patients can easily see a family doctor, but when it comes to seeing a specialist, they need to travel miles. 

But with DermaGo, they can see the specialist from their home without missing any work or without travelling miles. 

Why should you do Dermatology telehealth app development with us?

On the concluding note, we would like to share our most recent case study on telemedicine app development.