Transformation Directorate

I want to use digital technology to develop teledermatology services for advice and guidance and referral triage

Digital solutions to help all systems to safely manage patient demand and enable digital conversation between clinicians in primary and secondary care.

Case studies

A teledermatology pilot to improve cancer care in Leeds

A teledermatology pilot to improve cancer care in Leeds

Leeds teledermatology skin cancer pilot to assess two-week-wait (2ww) referrals
Using an app for advice and guidance and referral management to help reduce dermatology appointments

Using an app for advice and guidance and referral management to help reduce dermatology appointments

Advice and guidance using a commercial platform to take and share images and videos securely.
Teledermatology using e-Referral Service advice and guidance at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital

Teledermatology using e-Referral Service Advice and Guidance (e-RS A&G) at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital

Using eRS to provide advice and guidance remotely to improve referral management and streamline patient pathways.
Teledermatology advice and guidance service at the Barts Health NHS Trust

Teledermatology Advice and Guidance (A&G) service at the Barts Health NHS Trust

E-Referral Service (e-RS) Advice and Guidance for dermatology routine referrals to improve patient pathways and provide dermatology education to GPs
Doctor sat at desk opposite a patient

A teledermatology assessment service for combined routine and 2 week wait (2WW) skin lesions

A teledermatology service for suspected skin cancer that allows assessments to happen in a GP surgery.
Secure web platform for advice and guidance to reduce inappropriate outpatient referrals

Secure web platform for advice and guidance to reduce inappropriate outpatient referrals

Use an online portal to take and share images for rapid advice and guidance and avoid unnecessary referrals
Use of a teledermatology platform to reduce dermatology referrals to secondary care

Use of a teledermatology platform to reduce dermatology referrals to secondary care

A teledermatology platform installed in practices to enable clinicians to make informed referrals
Virtual patient consultation: Stirling Community Hospital, Stirling and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow

Virtual patient consultation: Stirling Community Hospital, Stirling and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow

Virtual patient consultation at Stirling Community Hospital.

Find out more

Teledermatology Roadmap

NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) Teledermatology Roadmap 2020/21 provides an overview of the key steps, principles and resources for the optimisation of digital teledermatology services. The roadmap is available in the dermatology section of the Elective Care Community of Practice website. You can view the roadmap by joining the community (account required)

Advice and guidance toolkit for the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS)

NHS e-RS is a digital asynchronous advice and guidance (A&G) platform, used across a range of medical and surgical specialties. The NHS e-RS A&G toolkit includes advice on image attachments and links to national case studies and outcome data. A&G provides two-way asynchronous digital conversations between clinicians in primary and secondary care. A&G allows secure storage of digital conversations around individual patients, and any related imagery. Files are stored in e-RS and can be rapidly re-accessed by clinicians under ‘Patient Enquiry’ for 6 months, and under ‘Advice and Guidance Enquiry’ for 18 months. They can also be transferred to the electronic patient record.

NHS England and Improvement website Elective Care Transformation Programme Advice and Guidance Resources

Dermatology is identified by NHS England modelling and analysis as a key specialty where A&G is likely to have significant benefit in the future delivery of services.

A&G services are a key part of the National Elective Care Recovery and Transformation Programme’s work, ensuring that patients needing non-urgent care can be effectively managed, away from acute care settings. The NHSE website hosts key cross-specialty resources, and links to the National Elective Care Transformation Programme’s Community of Practice website. This in turn contains support tools that enable local health systems to implement A&G services, including dermatology A&G, and allow virtual care where appropriate.

British Association of Dermatologists website teledermatology and clinical services unit

The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) maintains an overview of how digital dermatology platforms and teledermatology pathways are being used nationally at the frontline of healthcare delivery, including NHS and commercial platforms. The Clinical Services Unit can provide impartial advice, support and guidance for clinicians, commissioners and organisations in the development and optimisation of digital services to improve the delivery of patient care. The BAD works with the NHSE Elective Care and Outpatient Transformation programmes, NHS Transformation Directorate and NHS Digital to continually develop teledermatology platforms and functionality, provide appropriate training for service delivery, and collect clinically meaningful outcome measures to guide commissioning.


Disclaimer

These case studies summarise user and patient experiences with digital solutions along the relevant care pathway. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the apps and digital tools referenced are not supplied, distributed or endorsed by NHS England or the Department of Health and Social Care and such parties are not liable for any injury, loss or damage arising from their use.

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