A 10-Year Experience of Teledermatology in a Korean Correctional Facility: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Abstract

Background: Teledermatology offers a potential solution for providing dermatologic care in correctional facilities, where access to specialists is often limited.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of all live-interactive teledermatology consultations between the dermatology department of Busan Paik Hospital and Busan Correctional Facility from 2013 to 2023. Data were extracted from electronic medical records and included demographics, diagnostic categories, individual diagnoses, treatment outcomes, and follow-up rates.

Results: A total of 1,236 incarcerated patients (mean age, 38.5 years; 85.4% male, 14.6% female) were included. Infectious skin diseases (41.5%), eczematous conditions (24.4%), and diseases of skin appendages (17.2%) were the most frequent diagnostic categories. The most common diagnoses were dermatomycosis (13.8%), folliculitis (13.5%), acne (12.5%), contact dermatitis (10.1%), and scabies (8.7%). Of the patients, 453 (40.8%) received follow-up evaluations; among them, 320 (59.3%) demonstrated clinical improvement. Improvement rates were highest in infectious diseases (65.9%), compared to eczematous (53.7%) and appendage-related (53.8%) conditions. Notably, scabies incidence markedly declined after 2022, coinciding with increased preventive topical permethrin use by on-site clinicians.

Conclusion: This 10-year experience demonstrates that teledermatology is a feasible, effective tool for delivering specialist care in correctional settings, with meaningful clinical improvements. Early detection and preventive strategies may further reduce disease burden, especially for conditions such as scabies. Our findings support teledermatology as a valuable approach to address health care disparities in underserved, closed populations.