Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhen to UseBenefits and ChallengesHow to PrepareWhat To Expect
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
When to Use
Benefits and Challenges
How to Prepare
What To Expect
Telehealth provides an effective way for people witheczemato check in with a dermatologist when in-person visits aren’t possible, necessary, or desirable.
Examples of telehealth visits include video calls, phone calls, and exchanging text messages and photos of your condition and medical history with your dermatologist through a patient portal or app.
Learn more about telehealth for eczema, its benefits and challenges, preparing for your visit, what might happen during your visit, and more.
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Telehealth visits are especially useful in the management of chronic health conditions.In dermatology, they are most suitable for visible skin, hair, and nail diseases, such as eczema.
The disease is linked to an overactiveimmune system.People of all ages can have it, but it commonly starts in early childhood and improves as a child grows older.
For a person who has eczema long-term,telehealth dermatology visitscan be a great tool in the management of the disease. They do not replace in-office visits, during which a dermatologist may examine you or perform a test or procedure. Rather, they allow you and your healthcare provider to communicate about symptoms, flare-ups, treatments, and medications, enabling continuity of care in between office visits.
Eczema patients who get follow-up care after an initial in-person visit using telehealth show similar improvement in their symptoms as those who do follow-up care in person, according to a 2015 study of children and adults.In the study, 38% of telehealth patients found their symptoms had cleared up entirely or almost entirely within a year, compared with 44% of people who had only in-person visits.
For people who live far away from theirdermatologist, a telehealth visit can save them the time they would normally spend taking off of work and the money they would spend on transportation.
Telehealth visits also help minimize the risk of COVID-19, which can come with traveling outside of the home.
However, diagnoses made during telehealth visits aren’t necessarily as reliable as those made during in-office visits. An analysis of teledermatology studies in March 2021 concluded they were less reliable, and the study authors concluded that telehealth visits are most suitable for conditions with low risks. Still, they are useful for reaching patients who can’t attend an in-office visit or for screening patients for an in-office follow-up, according to the researchers.
Coping With the Emotional Impact of Eczema
Before you book an appointment for a telehealth visit, check with your insurer to see if they cover teledermatology. During the pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) took steps to make it easier for private insurers to cover telehealth services and for people on Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program to access them.
Take the following steps before an appointment, according to the NEAand the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD):
The Stages of Eczema
What to Expect
During the telehealth visit, your dermatologist may do the following, according to the AAD:
You may also go over previous test results with your dermatologist during your telehealth appointment.
The AAD provides adirectory of dermatologistswho offer telehealth services. To find one, toggle the Any Practice Focus field to the Teledermatology option.
HHS also has aguidefor finding telehealth options through your insurance or a health center.
A Word From Verywell
Eczema is a condition that requires ongoing management of your symptoms, and telehealth visits provide a convenient and safe way for you to have regular appointments with your dermatologist in between in-person visits. Telehealth can save you the hassle of traveling and help minimize the risk of contracting COVID-19. However, in order to get the best care, expect that from time to time you will still have to make a trip to your healthcare provider’s office for tests and physical exams.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Telemedicine: Overview.National Eczema Association.Atopic Dermatitis 101.National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.Koonin LM, Hoots B, Tsang CA, et al.Trends in the use of telehealth during the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic - United States, January-March 2020.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(43):1595-1599. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6943a3Armstrong AW, Johnson MA, Lin S, et al.Patient-centered, direct-access online care for management of atopic dermatitis: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Dermatol. 2015;151(2):154-60. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.2299Bastola M, Locatis C, Fontelo P.Diagnostic reliability of in-person versus remote dermatology: A meta-analysis.Telemed J E Health. 2021;27(3):247-250. doi:10.1089/tmj.2020.0043U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Telehealth: Delivering care safely during COVID-19.National Eczema Association.Telemedicine for eczema: Tapping into the virtual wellness trend.American Academy of Dermatology Association.As virtual heath care visits soar amid the coronavirus outbreak, dermatologists share tips to help patients manage their appointment.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Telemedicine: Overview.National Eczema Association.Atopic Dermatitis 101.National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.Koonin LM, Hoots B, Tsang CA, et al.Trends in the use of telehealth during the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic - United States, January-March 2020.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(43):1595-1599. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6943a3Armstrong AW, Johnson MA, Lin S, et al.Patient-centered, direct-access online care for management of atopic dermatitis: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Dermatol. 2015;151(2):154-60. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.2299Bastola M, Locatis C, Fontelo P.Diagnostic reliability of in-person versus remote dermatology: A meta-analysis.Telemed J E Health. 2021;27(3):247-250. doi:10.1089/tmj.2020.0043U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Telehealth: Delivering care safely during COVID-19.National Eczema Association.Telemedicine for eczema: Tapping into the virtual wellness trend.American Academy of Dermatology Association.As virtual heath care visits soar amid the coronavirus outbreak, dermatologists share tips to help patients manage their appointment.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Telemedicine: Overview.National Eczema Association.Atopic Dermatitis 101.National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.Koonin LM, Hoots B, Tsang CA, et al.Trends in the use of telehealth during the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic - United States, January-March 2020.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(43):1595-1599. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6943a3Armstrong AW, Johnson MA, Lin S, et al.Patient-centered, direct-access online care for management of atopic dermatitis: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Dermatol. 2015;151(2):154-60. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.2299Bastola M, Locatis C, Fontelo P.Diagnostic reliability of in-person versus remote dermatology: A meta-analysis.Telemed J E Health. 2021;27(3):247-250. doi:10.1089/tmj.2020.0043U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Telehealth: Delivering care safely during COVID-19.National Eczema Association.Telemedicine for eczema: Tapping into the virtual wellness trend.American Academy of Dermatology Association.As virtual heath care visits soar amid the coronavirus outbreak, dermatologists share tips to help patients manage their appointment.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Telemedicine: Overview.
National Eczema Association.Atopic Dermatitis 101.
National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.
Koonin LM, Hoots B, Tsang CA, et al.Trends in the use of telehealth during the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic - United States, January-March 2020.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(43):1595-1599. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6943a3
Armstrong AW, Johnson MA, Lin S, et al.Patient-centered, direct-access online care for management of atopic dermatitis: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Dermatol. 2015;151(2):154-60. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.2299
Bastola M, Locatis C, Fontelo P.Diagnostic reliability of in-person versus remote dermatology: A meta-analysis.Telemed J E Health. 2021;27(3):247-250. doi:10.1089/tmj.2020.0043
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Telehealth: Delivering care safely during COVID-19.
National Eczema Association.Telemedicine for eczema: Tapping into the virtual wellness trend.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.As virtual heath care visits soar amid the coronavirus outbreak, dermatologists share tips to help patients manage their appointment.
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