Teledermatology and Telemedicine

Abstract

Telemedicine is a new branch of medicine exploiting the new communication devices to expand medical services and consultation beyond physical limits. This new significant chapter in medicine will interest every medical area, taking advantage of digital devices that are becoming more complex, reducing the need for the patient's physical presence only to perform analysis or interventions. Teledermatology is a new expanding area in telemedicine, consisting of the ability to resolve skin-related health problems without the physical presence of the patients. Skin diseases represent a significant source of morbidity and a minor source of mortality worldwide. In this chapter, the authors analyze how telemedicine and teledermatology developed, their current use in medicine, and current studies and reviews already present in literature. Also, future possible prospects and developments of these techniques will be analyzed.