A new article published in The Journal of Dermatological Treatment stated that owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, planned medical and surgical activities are being postponed. For the dermatology community, this interruption to the healthcare system can lead to delays in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma. With the COVID-19 pandemic evolving and no clear solutions in sight, it is time for the prospective evaluation of teledermatology. The field of dermatology needs to harness this technology to provide a safety net to patients during this crisis.

The authors reported that neglecting melanoma during this crisis can result in increased mortality, morbidity and healthcare costs. Nevertheless, dermatologists must be cautious, but should continue face-to-face consultation for patients with pigmented lesions as many vulnerable patients may require an early surgical intervention.

Additionally, this may be the appropriate time to plan for a post-COVID resource-constrained healthcare system. Many dermatology patients will need to be triaged depending on their quarantine status. Meanwhile, other dermatologic conditions could be evaluated, beyond cutaneous malignancies—which may be manageable via telehealth. This would allow dermatologists to extend telehealth use post pandemic and increase their capacity to see patients with pigmented lesions.

When diagnosing life‐threatening conditions such as melanoma, the consequences of falsely reassuring a person that they do not have skin cancer can be fatal, as the delay to diagnosis means that the window for successful early intervention may be missed. Therefore, it was recommended that during this healthcare crisis, the dermatology community must maintain efficient and timely melanoma management without jeopardizing diagnostic accuracy, and prepare for the aftermath of COVID-19.

Source: The Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 2020 Apr 29;1-8. doi: 10.1080/09546634.2020.1762844.