Teledermatology
What is Teledermatology?
Teledermatology allows specialists to review and diagnose various skin conditions by examining good-quality photographic images. You can continue care with your GP, or referral to Community Dermatology will be recommended. If a specialist visit is required, the Dermatology Service will contact you to arrange a visit or a referral to secondary care.
Who will access my eligibility?
Your GP will assess your referral and determine if our service is appropriate for you. Once a referral has been made, we will carefully consider your symptoms to ensure that we can provide the best care available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of teledermatology for patients?
The aims of the teledermatology service are to:
- Provide care closer to home
- Prevent avoidable and inappropriate referrals to the dermatology
- Reducing the time taken for patients to access specialist services
- GPs can quickly and easily obtain a second opinion when required
How does the service work?
If your GP thinks you have a dermatological condition and queries whether your condition could be managed in your own GP Practice setting or if you need to attend a more specialist service in the community, they will send a teledermatology referral directly to us.
Teledermatology allows specialists quickly to examine and triage cases from photographic images, recommending referrals to the specialist community service or secondary care where appropriate, but otherwise triaging cases back to the community with a suitable management plan.
How quickly will my teledermatology referral be reviewed?
Your teledermatology referral will be reviewed and returned to the GP with advice within 5 working days. The referral will make a clinical decision on the best pathway of care for you. Your GP will then contact you to discuss the outcome of your referral and next steps.
What could be the outcome of my teledermatology referral?
The outcome of your teledermatology referral could be one of the following:
- A treatment plan sent back to your GP with instructions for management.
- If required, you will be contacted to arrange a Face to face appointment.
- If required, arrangements for the onward referral to another specialist.
- Direct listing for minor procedure with the specialist community dermatology service
- You will be given preoperative information about skin surgery.
- If you prefer you can opt for a face-to-face discussion with the skin specialist or skin surgeon if you would like to discuss your procedure.
