Teledermatology

The use of digital media in healthcare has gained importance in recent years. E-health and m‑health (electronic and mobile health), i.e. technologies based on electronic data processing or mobile devices and sensors, are becoming increasingly important in the healthcare sector. They support (facilitate) medical care in underserved areas; for example, an online consultation can save time and money and make it possible for patients to seek medical help.

Moreover, the „Act for Secure Digital Communication and Applications in Healthcare and for the Amendment of Other Acts“, which came into force in 2015, explicitly calls for the accelerated introduction of digital applications in medicine to improve patient care.

Dermatology in particular, which is largely based on the assessment of visual findings, lends itself to the use of telemedical technologies.

The term teledermatology refers to the

• transfer
• analysis
• evaluation

of dermatological findings and, specifically, of the corresponding image material. A teledermatology consultation can support occupational physicians and company doctors on site in occupational health care, but can also assist in the development and implementation of secondary and tertiary preventive measures.