Teledermatology in the Control of Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) include a group of about 20 illnesses that have garnered relatively little attention, despite their ability to inflict significant suffering and disability. Skin neglected tropical diseases (sNTDs) are a subset of NTDs that present with cutaneous mani...

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Main Authors: Tejas Joshi, Vicky Ren
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Mattioli1885 2021-09-01
Series:Dermatology Practical & Conceptual
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dpcj.org/index.php/dpc/article/view/1702
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author Tejas Joshi
Vicky Ren
author_facet Tejas Joshi
Vicky Ren
author_sort Tejas Joshi
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) include a group of about 20 illnesses that have garnered relatively little attention, despite their ability to inflict significant suffering and disability. Skin neglected tropical diseases (sNTDs) are a subset of NTDs that present with cutaneous manifestations and are well known for their ability to generate stigma and promote poverty. Teledermatology (TD) represents a potential method to control sNTDs. Objective: We sought to analyze the potential for TD to ease the burden of sNTDs. Methods: We performed a systematic literature search using the Texas Medical Center Library One Search, which scans 167 databases, including Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. We included all original investigations published after 2011 that assessed the impact of TD intervention in the control of one or more sNTDs. We excluded studies not written in English and studies that did not perform any outcome analyses. Results: 20 studies met our search criteria, and 18 expressed positive attitudes towards TD. Overall, we found that TD may be a sustainable, cost-effective strategy for expanding access to care for individuals afflicted with sNTDs. However, poor image quality, lack of access to further diagnostic tests, and ethical, legal, and cultural issues pose as barriers to TD utilization. Conclusion: TD may be helpful in achieving control of sNTDs but has its limitations. An integrated approach, which employs TD in conjunction with other strategies, represents a realistic path for alleviating sNTDs.
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spelling doaj.art-f308830425544066a749113ebab192a32022-12-21T23:19:20ZengMattioli1885Dermatology Practical & Conceptual2160-93812021-09-0110.5826/dpc.1104a130Teledermatology in the Control of Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Systematic ReviewTejas Joshi0Vicky Ren1School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USADepartment of Dermatology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USAIntroduction: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) include a group of about 20 illnesses that have garnered relatively little attention, despite their ability to inflict significant suffering and disability. Skin neglected tropical diseases (sNTDs) are a subset of NTDs that present with cutaneous manifestations and are well known for their ability to generate stigma and promote poverty. Teledermatology (TD) represents a potential method to control sNTDs. Objective: We sought to analyze the potential for TD to ease the burden of sNTDs. Methods: We performed a systematic literature search using the Texas Medical Center Library One Search, which scans 167 databases, including Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. We included all original investigations published after 2011 that assessed the impact of TD intervention in the control of one or more sNTDs. We excluded studies not written in English and studies that did not perform any outcome analyses. Results: 20 studies met our search criteria, and 18 expressed positive attitudes towards TD. Overall, we found that TD may be a sustainable, cost-effective strategy for expanding access to care for individuals afflicted with sNTDs. However, poor image quality, lack of access to further diagnostic tests, and ethical, legal, and cultural issues pose as barriers to TD utilization. Conclusion: TD may be helpful in achieving control of sNTDs but has its limitations. An integrated approach, which employs TD in conjunction with other strategies, represents a realistic path for alleviating sNTDs.https://dpcj.org/index.php/dpc/article/view/1702global healthskin neglected tropical diseasesteledermatologytelemedicineglobal dermatology
spellingShingle Tejas Joshi
Vicky Ren
Teledermatology in the Control of Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Systematic Review
Dermatology Practical & Conceptual
global health
skin neglected tropical diseases
teledermatology
telemedicine
global dermatology
title Teledermatology in the Control of Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Systematic Review
title_full Teledermatology in the Control of Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Systematic Review
title_fullStr Teledermatology in the Control of Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Systematic Review
title_full_unstemmed Teledermatology in the Control of Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Systematic Review
title_short Teledermatology in the Control of Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Systematic Review
title_sort teledermatology in the control of skin neglected tropical diseases a systematic review
topic global health
skin neglected tropical diseases
teledermatology
telemedicine
global dermatology
url https://dpcj.org/index.php/dpc/article/view/1702
work_keys_str_mv AT tejasjoshi teledermatologyinthecontrolofskinneglectedtropicaldiseasesasystematicreview
AT vickyren teledermatologyinthecontrolofskinneglectedtropicaldiseasesasystematicreview