Inpatient teledermatology: Current state and practice gaps

Background: Inpatient dermatology care can be challenging for dermatologists. Currently teledermatology is widely used in the outpatient setting but is not common in the inpatient setting, although it has the potential to reduce wait times and improve access to care. Objective: To review the available literature on inpatient teledermatology, assess how teledermatology is currently being used in the inpatient setting, and recommend best practice use of inpatient teledermatology. Methods: A literature review was performed and dermatology attending physicians were surveyed at the Society for Dermatology Hospitalists annual meeting about their current use of inpatient teledermatology. Results: The majority of attending physicians (80.8%, n = 21/26) responded that their institution uses some form of teledermatology. Approximately half of those using teledermatology used it for both inpatient and outpatient consultations (55%, n = 11/20). For institutions with inpatient teledermatology, attending physicians used teledermatology to remotely staff inpatient consultations (81.8%, n = 9/11), triage consultations (63.6%, n = 7/11), and answer curbside questions from primary teams (18.2%, n = 2/11). Limitations: The limitations of this study include a limited sample size from a single meeting. Conclusion: Inpatient teledermatology is currently under-utilized has the potential to increase access to dermatology care and may be best used for triaging and remote staffing. Additionally, standardization of platforms and reimbursement would allow for increased use of inpatient teledermatology.