INTEGRATION OF TELEDERMATOLOGY INTO CLINICAL PRACTICE: DIAGNOSTIC RELIABILITY AND PATIENT OUTCOMES

Abstract

The provision of dermatological care via electronic communication technologies, known as teledermatology, is an important component of modern healthcare systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where dermatological disease burden is high, and expertise in dermatology and other skin conditions is scarce. This review assesses the current evidence of teledermatology regarding diagnostic accuracy, patient outcomes, challenges to implementation, and the possible role of teledermatology in South Asian countries particularly in Pakistan. PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE and Google Scholar were searched for studies published from 2005 to 2025, yielding a systematic review of studies that were reviewed. A systematic review of studies from PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE and Google Scholar identified that store-and-forward (SAF) teledermatology achieves diagnostic concordance rates between 70-91% when compared with face-to-face consultations and that real-time video consultations are equally effective. Teledermatology lowers wait time, lowers the number of unnecessary referrals by 40-55% and has a patient satisfaction rate of more than 82%. AI Teledermatology is also promising in the field of lesion triage and diagnosis. There is still a lack of long-term outcome data and LMIC-specific research. Pakistan has a high prevalence of mobile phone usage, limited number of dermatologists and a high burden of skin diseases, which augur well for the adoption of teledermatology. Overall, teledermatology is a viable and cost-effective solution that can be used to enhance access to dermatological services where supported by the right policy, training and regulatory measures.