Value of DermaCheckup as a novel dedicated digital health solution for teledermatology

Daily healthcare is becoming increasingly costly and resource‑intensive, requiring vast human and financial resources. The primary aim of the present study was to present the initial findings regarding the diagnostic accuracy of a novel telemedicine platform, DermaCheckup, when compared with face‑to‑face clinical appointments. The secondary aim was to assess whether patient management plans produced via this telemedicine platform differ from those decided upon following a face‑to‑face dermatological consultation. The difference in time to diagnosis between the tele‑dermatology platform and standard care was also assessed. The DermaCheckup teledermatology service was implemented in March, 2020 as the COVID‑19 pandemic emerged in the UK. The present study assessed patients who underwent a face‑to‑face clinical consultation, who, prior to visiting the clinic, used the teledermatology platform; thus, the diagnosis made via teledermatology was able to be compared to that made following standard care. Comparisons were made between diagnosis, process of diagnosis and the time to diagnosis. A total of 29 consecutive patients entering one UK dermatology clinic were included in the study. The COVID‑19 pandemic resulted in face‑to‑face visits being challenging, owing to the risk of transmission of SARS‑CoV‑2. This limited the number of patients recruited into the study. The DermaCheckup application exhibited a very good level of agreement in terms of diagnosis with traditional face‑to‑face appointments. In the present study cohort, 93% of the patients could have been managed safely or referred immediately for a biopsy, thus avoiding a visit to the hospital. A substantial important improvement was also observed in the efficiencies that can be potentially achieved; the time to manage a patient decreased between 46‑22‑fold without considering the waiting time required between the time of organizing an appointment to the actual appointment.