The Effect of Teledermatology on Access to Care

The use of teledermatologyTeledermatology has rapidly increased during theCovid-19 COVID-19 pandemic. While teledermatologyTeledermatology presents promise, concerns over its impact on health care disparitiesDisparities for underservedUnderserved populations have arisen. In this chapter, we discuss the early usage of telemedicineTelemedicine, including the populations that have historically utilized the service least. We then discuss data describing the impact of teledermatology on healthcare accessHealthcare access across practices that have recently adopted teledermatologyTeledermatology during the pandemic. We expand upon the various barriers patients may face in accessing a teledermatologyTeledermatology appointment. We then discuss limitations to provider implementation of telemedicine that may exacerbate disparities in care for patients. Finally, we describe the necessary steps that must be taken to ensure equitable digital care moving forward.