Study finds problems with teledermatology

New York residents who are unable to travel to the doctor sometimes use telemedicine to diagnose and treat medical conditions remotely. One area of telemedicine that is becoming popular is teledermatology. Several teledermatology websites allow patients to send photographs to be used for diagnosis and treatment of various conditions.

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, recently conducted a study on the quality of teledermatology websites. The research paper, published in JAMA Dermatology, covered the results of research that was done on 16 teledermatology websites that allow patients to directly access clinicians. Researchers posed as patients by submitting photographs of several different kinds of neoplastic, infectious and inflammatory conditions.

The researchers determined that a misdiagnosis was a common problem with the teledermatology websites. Patients were also commonly prescribed drugs without any warnings about adverse side effects or pregnancy risks. Some of the diagnoses that were missed by clinicians involved in the study included eczema herpeticum, syphilis and polycystic ovarian syndrome. In 68 percent of the cases, clinicians were assigned to patients without any choice being made by the patient. Just 26 percent of the clinicians provided information about their licensing.

If a patient is misdiagnosed while using a teledermatology website, the patient's condition may be left untreated for an extended period of time. Taking the wrong type of medication after a misdiagnosis can also have adverse side effects. An attorney could help a patient who was misdiagnosed to pursue a claim against the medical provider who was responsible for the negligent medical treatment.