Teledermatology in Military Settings

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review summarizes the history and usage of teledermatology in the US Military and potential directions in the future.Recent FindingsGiven the remote and austere environment that operational settings present, it is hard to provide specialized medical care for soldiers who are deployed. Telemedicine has been shown to improve health care in the military. It is well documented that non-life-threatening skin disease comprises the majority of specialty care requests in the deployed setting. Thus, teledermatology is a critical resource in military operational medical settings.SummaryTeledermatology continues as a critical component of military medicine to preserve the fighting forces by increasing access to specialty care. Teledermatology evaluations are more cost-effective and efficient than in-person consults at field hospitals. The US military continues to devise improved technology for teledermatology quality, including artificial intelligence. These advances may allow for autonomous teledermatology consults in the future for austere settings without bandwidth.
Source: Current Dermatology Reports - Category: Dermatology Source Type: research