The usefulness of recent technological innovations that improve the way we communicate is not limited to just social media. Telemedicine is a convenient and effective way for doctors and patients to discuss health conditions and treatment options. Since dermatology is so visual, something as simple as sending a picture of a rash for examination makes it possible for you to receive care without leaving your home. Just like an in-person appointment, all telemedicine information is confidential and secure.

When is it the right time to use teledermatology?

Let’s say you’re a patient with chronic acne. You come to our office to discuss treatment plans and get a prescription for a topical ointment. After a few weeks, you need a refill on your prescription. Instead of having to leave school or work in the middle of the day, you can just snap a picture of your acne and send it to our dermatologists. If it looks like you need a refill, we can take care of that without you having to make the trek to our office. What’s great is that the photos you send are kept on file so that they can be referenced next time you need a prescription or refill.

In general, the skin conditions that are easiest to treat over the teledermatology platform are not limited to an isolated lesion. Mild psoriasis, eczema, acne, bacterial and fungal infections, and vitiligo tend to be the most suitable conditions for teledermatological treatment.

The teledermatology platform isn’t perfect, but it can be a helpful jumping-off point at the very least. If you send a picture of a mole over the platform, we might be able to definitively say the mole is benign. In some cases where we cannot tell right away how serious the mole may be, we can triage the condition. All this means is that we can tell you how severe we think the condition is, and invite you into the office for further inspection.

If you have a condition that you feel would be a good fit for our teledermatology platform, visit our online dermatologist visits page for more information. If you’d like to come into the office, please schedule a same day or next day appointment by visiting our website or calling 651-209-1600.