In addition to fighting against medical deserts, tele-dermatology is as effective as the traditional visit against the symptoms of eczema.
No more waiting rooms? A study published in the JAMA Dermatology suggests that monitoring eczema patients remotely is as beneficial as visiting the dermatologist’s office. In addition to limiting waiting times, this method helps to fight against medical isolation.
Similar results
156 patients, children and adults, took part in this research. Half received a classic follow-up, visit to the dermatologist’s office, the other half carried out remote consultations. In both cases, 6 visits were organized, each separated by two months. When the meeting takes place face to face, the dermatologist takes pictures of the skin lesions. When the consultation is done online, it is up to the patient to take the photos and send them to their doctor. The latter analyzes the images, and issues treatment recommendations. The images also make it possible to objectively measure the evolution of eczema.
“Patients from both groups (direct online access and in-person visit) presented significant improvements in the severity of their atopic dermatitis”, underline the authors of this study. In fact, at one year, 44% of participants in the “face-to-face” group had their eczema eliminated or almost, against 38% in the second.
Develop tele-dermatology
These results plead in favor of the development of tele-dermatology, believes Dr. April Armstrong, interviewed by the JAMA Dermatology. “There is a real demand for online care,” she comments. This study also aimed to compare the two monitoring methods. “One of the models that has emerged the most is online access. The problem is that we don’t have a lot of data on the value of this model in relation to office visits, ”explains Dr. Armstrong. “In our study, we showed that patients with atopic dermatitis (…) have equivalent results in terms of the severity of the disease. If the visit in person remains the reference, this online consultation could represent an effective alternative… in addition to participating in the fight against medical deserts. These results could also be extended to France, since the Mutuelle Sociale Agricole (MSA) already offers, on the occasion of Melanoma Day, remote screening for skin lesions. But this time the photographs are taken by doctors from the MSA.
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