DermHelpCentral

DermUtopia

It can be difficult to get an appointment with a dermatologist when it is most needed.  Teledermatology can help you get your skin problem evaluated promptly and professionally.

There is are both iPhone and Android Apps that will allow you to get a virtual consult from a board-certified dermatologist in a prompt manner.

 

Founders Christine Shanahan and Brenda Dintiman

DermUtopia – an online dermatology clinic, was founded on the premise that access to dermatological care, including online acne treatments, should be available anytime and anywhere. Expanding on this concept, DermUtopia co has the following mission:

• To extend medical care by US board-certified dermatologists to all people with skin conditions .
• To protect the privacy of patients during online dermatology consultations with a secure HIPAA compliant phone application
• To reduce wait time for consultation with an online dermatologist
• To provide care to patients in underserved areas where there is a shortage of dermatologists patients
• To support primary care and pediatric physicians
• To collect data that supports the cost-, time- and travel time-saving aspects of teledermatology (online dermatology consultations)
• To offer accurate information and diagnoses that avoid unnecessary medications and procedures
• To aid in the early diagnosis of potentially life-threatening conditions, such as melanoma
• To perform early treatment of conditions that can benefit greatly from early intervention, such as infections and drug rashes.

DermUtopia is currently available in Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and Hawaii.  Its services are covered by most health plans in these states.  To get started, click on this link.

3Derm

is an innovtive company that has created a system for diagnosing skin lesions with a specal emphasis on melanoma. They have developed a handheld skin imager and intuitive cloud-based software to take, store, and send clinical quality 3D images from any user to a trained dermatologist. Their imager matches or exceeds industry standards in lighting, polarization, and magnification - ensuring that every image taken with a 3Derm device is diagnostically useful. The 3Derm web platform was built from the ground up to be HIPAA secure, and allows patients and dermatologists to connect easily with a modern interface. These innovations are designed to improve access to and frequency of standardized skin imaging - detecting skin cancer at the earlier, more treatable stages.  See 3Derm Website.

Health Care Apps Offer Patients an Active Role

This is a NY Times Business Day article about new cell-phone apps that are directed at consumers.  It discusses otoscopes, devices for heart monitoring, and some dermatologic uses.

See:  Health Care Apps. (April 26, 2014)

There are other pages on Teledermatology at this site.

Related articles

Teledermatology Forms

Teledermatology Forms

These forms will help you to communicate with the dermatologist, David Elpern, for new problems, existing problems and prescription refill requests.  If you do not have a prescription plan with your medical insurance, you can usually save a significant amount on your medications from GoodRx.

New Patient/New Problem Form

Question about an Existing Problem

Refill Request

If you have specific questions or comments, please contact DJ Elpern.

Digital Photography in Dermatology

Feroze Kaliyadan is a dermatologist and accomplished photographer in Kerala, India.  This article is an excellent introduction to skin photography and it's available free Full Text!

Basic digital photography in dermatology. Kaliyadan F, Manoj J, Venkitakrishnan S, Dharmaratnam AD.

Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2008 Sep-Oct;74(5):532-6.

Dr. Kaliyadan's photo near Cochin International Airport

Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kochi, Kerala -682 026, India.

Abstract
Digital photography has virtually replaced conventional film photography as far as clinical imaging is concerned. Though most dermatologists are familiar with digital cameras, there is room for improvement in the quality of clinical images. We aim to give an overview of the basics of digital photography in relation to dermatology, which would be useful to a dermatologist in his or her future clinical practice.

Clinical Photography

Good clinical photographs are the key to success in teledermatology.  Many cheap digital cameras will work well.  Megapixels are not important. 

Here's a relatively short article on the subject:  Download digital_photography.pdf

I will add to this page when I have the time.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

DJE