Implementation of teledermatological consultations at Leipzig University Medical Center

Background: Numerous patients admitted to a general hospital present skin changes as secondary findings. Approximately 800 dermatological consultations are performed annually at the Leipzig University Medical Center. Objectives: The aim of this study was, after implementation of teledermatological consulting, the retrospective evaluation of that and the resulting satisfaction of the physicians involved. Materials and methodsWe carried out an analysis of all consultation requests, which were answered using store-and-forward technology via the photo documentation app imitoCAM (R) (imito AG Zurich/Switzerland) and the clinical information system SAP (R) (SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG Walldorf/Germany) from 1 February to 31 July 2023, as well as of questionnaires on satisfaction, which were sent to the participating physicians after the consultation. Results: Our analysis included 419 consultation requests, 90 of which were answered teledermatologically. The consultation dermatologists stated that 92% of the cases could be solved using only telemedical instruments. Moreover, 90.9% of the consulting physicians rated the technical implementation as good to very good and 47.5% of the consultation dermatologists estimated a time saving of at least 30-60 min. Conclusions: Our study shows the enormous potential of teledermatology in the inpatient setting. Implementation of teleconsultation enables more efficient consultations, reduces time- and cost-intensive transportation and offers patients a more comfortable dermatological evaluation with reduced risk of infection.