Despite the potential of teledermatology to increase access to dermatology services and improve patient care, it is not widely practised in Australia. To increase uptake of teledermatology, The University of Queensland’s Centre for Online Health and The Australasian College of Dermatologists are collaborating to produce Australia-specific practice guidelines for teledermatology. Existing international teledermatology guidelines as well as experts in clinical, telehealth, informatics and medico-legal domains are being consulted. The guidelines will be applicable to all domains of telehealth and will provide recommendations on topics such as appropriate patient selection, imaging, privacy and security, medico-legal risk, and communication.
Using evidence-based recommendations, the resulting guidelines can educate providers on the benefits and limitations of telehealth, and also advise how to enhance patient care and reduce risk when practicing teledermatology.
