Teledermatology: An updated overview of clinical applications and reimbursement policies

Telemedicine is an emerging field in health care that provides services from different medical specialties to patients all around the world. One of the specialties in telemedicine, teledermatology, has grown exponentially as a cost-effective way to implement dermatologic health care to underserved areas and populations. This article reviews the literature that pertains to the cost-effectiveness, reliability, public access, patient satisfaction, and reimbursement policies of teledermatology. Teledermatology has two established modalities: store-and-forward (asynchronous) and live interaction (synchronous).