Dermatology To Teledermatology: An Inspiring Tell Of Progress

From the moment we humans have started to understand our own anatomy and physical abilities, we have worked very hard to improve it. We have found ways of using herbs to prepare medicines. Ways of utilizing our surroundings, such as sunrays to treat certain diseases, and we are still continuing to develop and improve ways of healthcare and wellbeing. Back in the day, we didn’t have much help or technological support like we have today but still, with our efforts and determination, we have created different treatments that are meant to cure our diseases.   

The term dermatology was first introduced in the early 1800’s when the Hôpital Saint-Louis in Paris was established. It was the first school that was dedicated to learning about skin care and hygiene. But if we trace the history, we can see that in 1572 a book named “De Morbis Cutaneis” was released in Italy by Geronimo Mercuriali, which can be considered the first work dedicated to skin care dermatology. Reports also indicate that Jean Astruc was the founder of dermatology as he worked on creating different medical procedures and dermatology practices. In the late 1700’s Francesco Bianchi wrote a book named “Dermatologia” that became the first textbook for dermatology. Upon seeing these studies and reports, we can say that people have been pursuing dermatology to create and offer diagnostics and treatments that can help us against various skin and aesthetics problems for a long time.   

How did dermatology that was practiced as a way of skin care and hygiene become teledermatology, an important part of telemedicine? Well, it started in the mid 1900’s when people started to understand the importance of the field and established an organization to conduct and manage researches to improve it. The International League of Dermatology Society was formed in 1935 to spread dermatology across the globe. By the 1990 the ILDS has grown into a global organization and has started different practices. By this time, we have also created clinical dermatology treatments and various cosmetic treatments that we meant for treating diseases and making physical improvements.   

The conversion of dermatology into teledermatology was not a random one, but it was part of the process that has been changing the healthcare industry for over 50 years. The concept of telemedicine started as a way of providing long-distance healthcare and knowledge. In its early, telemedicine worked with the help of letters and drafts. Then by adopting radio technology, it became a faster way of engaging a large crowd. Later it became a way of providing information and consultation to people who are boarded on a ship, a plane, or live on a remote location. Dermatology practices changed into teledermatology with the help of modern-day technology that created a platform for online consultation and diagnostics. With the aid of information technology and telecommunication technology, a solution has been created that enabled us to undergo treatment from a remote location and consult with the concerned doctor using our computer or mobile.       

What Benefits Does Telemedicine Offers Us?  

Teledermatology is a part of telemedicine, which has become an integral part of the medical industry. This happens because, unlike the traditional way of consultation and treatment, it provided a more flexible and technological way of doing this. It has benefited us in many ways, including the following.  

• Made Things Easy: Telemedicine has made it very easy for people to contact the concerned doctor and to act faster in the emergency. During the current pandemic, when we are advised to remain at our home, telemedicine has proven to be the perfect communication way.  
• Broke The Boundaries: The concept of telemedicine was introduced to provide long-distance consultation and treatment, becoming a reality. Today we can contact a dermatologist in Indore or a dermatologist in the United States with few clicks.  
• Helping Both Sides: One thing that is making telemedicine popular is that the solution is beneficial for both patients and doctors. Patients can now get treatment remotely while the doctors can arrange the appointments more flexibly. This has removed the pressure from both sides and helped them in becoming efficient.   
• Storage And Sharing: Telemedicine and teledermatology work with advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and electronic medical records. With these technologies, maintain medical records and sharing them are become very easy. Now the patient can store and share the records while the doctors review them for planning their course of action.       

Conclusion    

The healthcare industry is forever changing to provide us the latest and best treatments. In the journey of dermatology, we can observe that with time we have incorporated technology with our traditional ways. This has open doors to new opportunities and has made our lives simple. In the past, dermatology has seen so many changes that converted simple skin care and hygiene methods to a technological healthcare solution. And it won’t be incorrect if we say that in the future, we will see it advance even and converting our usual way into technology-oriented procedures.