Teledermatology clinics

Who is the leaflet for?

This leaflet is for all patients, their family and/or carers who are invited to attend a ‘Teledermatology’ clinic appointment organised by your GP or Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH). Many of our services now offer reviews by telephone which means you may not need to attend hospital for your review and as a result you may well be able to be diagnosed and treated faster than if you attend in person. This leaflet answers common questions about the Teledermatology service. If you would like further information, or have any particular worries, please do not hesitate to speak to your nurse or doctor.

What is Teledermatology?

What is Teledermatology?

Teledermatology is the use of a special, high-quality camera to take photographs of your skin problem. Your photographs will be reviewed by a Dermatologist who will decide on the best course of action. Only lesions stated on your GP referral letter will be photographed - this service is not for whole body skin checks. If there are additional lesions you would like to be assessed you would need to raise this with your GP.

How does a Teledermatology clinic appointment work?

You will attend a medical photography clinic appointment in the community in order to have a photograph taken of the lesion as referred by your GP. The photographs and any other documentation will be transferred electronically to a Dermatologist, along with the referral letter from your GP and your assessment form. After attending your medical photography appointment, the doctor will then carefully review your photographs and decide on the appropriate treatment plan.

Preparing for your appointment

To help get the best possible outcome from the appointment and to get the best possible images of your lesion, please consider the following

• If you wear makeup, it will have to be removed before photography so it is best not to wear any at all if possible.
• If the lesion is within a beard/moustache area, then please consider shaving the area beforehand.

Certain things may mean you are ineligible for this service. We will do our best to assess the referrals beforehand so this does not occur, but it is not always predictable. If any of the following apply to you, then please get in touch (see below) to have your appointment rearranged to a face-to-face visit:

• The lesion is within a hair bearing site and the hair cannot be removed (e.g. it’s on your scalp or you maintain a full beard/moustache).
• The lesion is located within a tattoo.
• You are a transplant patient.

What happens at my appointment?

Before your appointment, please complete the Teledermatology questionnaire available on MyChart, the electronic patient portal at Addenbrooke’s. If you do not have a MyChart account, the questionnaire will be available to complete at your appointment. This assessment form asks questions about your lesion along with your general health and medical history which will be used in conjunction with the letter from your GP and the photographs to make an assessment and potential treatment plan. When you arrive at the clinic, (please see location details below) reception staff will direct you to the correct waiting area where the medical photographer will greet you. The photographer will then explain what they are going to do, which includes obtaining your consent and taking the relevant photographs of your skin. Please remove jewellery and make-up if it is in the same area as the lesion.

What happens after my appointment?

For some patients, the doctor will be able to diagnose your problem, provide reassurance and write and discharge you back to your GP with a treatment plan for your condition. Sometimes, the Dermatologist may decide that you do need to be seen in person or that you need a biopsy (a small piece of skin is taken and sent to a laboratory for diagnosis) or a full excision of the lesion. If this is the case, you will be contacted and offered an appointment. The doctor who reviews your photographs will write to you and your GP with the management plan so you are always kept up to date with what is happening with your care. In some cases, the Dermatologist will issue an electronic prescription which will be available for you to collect from CUH outpatient pharmacy or a letter will be sent asking your GP to issue this prescription. You will receive a copy of the Dermatologist letter, either by post or on MyChart if set-up, which will explain what action, if any, you need to take next. These actions may include:

• Face-to-face appointment

If you need to be seen face-to-face, we will contact you to offer you an appointment.

• Surgical treatment

If the Dermatologist advises you to have a surgical procedure, they will add you to the waiting list and you will be telephoned separately by the surgical booking team. We are currently experiencing significantly longer waits for routine surgery. Depending on the priority placed by the Dermatologist, this could be up to a year waiting. The bookings team will be in contact with you when ready to arrange your appointment.

• Treatment at GP

It may be that you don’t need to be seen in hospital, but will be managed by your GP. If this is the case it will be clearly stated in the letter. Where required, call your GP practice so that your treatment can be started.

• No further action

It could be that there is no further action needed. You will only need to return to your GP if you are still worried.

• Prescription issued

In some cases, the Dermatologist will issue an electronic prescription which will be available for you to collect from outpatient pharmacy at CUH.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Q. Does the Dermatologist have to see my skin problem in person in order to identify what is wrong?

A. No. The photographs are of high quality and taken by professional photographers. However, if the Dermatologist has any uncertainty about the diagnosis, they will ask to see you in a face-to-face consultation.

Q. Is this a safe service?

A. Yes, this service is safe. It has become the standard mode of consultation in many areas of the country and is an excellent way of helping patients be seen more quickly than at present without losing any quality in the care received.

Q. What if it doesn’t work?

A. If there is a degree of uncertainty about the diagnosis then you may be offered a patient-initiated follow-up appointment in case the treatment fails. If the diagnosis is clear and the treatment expected to be effective, then you will need to speak to your GP about a new referral. This is the same process that would take place in a face-to-face consultation.

Q. What happens if I am discharged, and I have further questions?

A. The letter and any attached information leaflets will contain key information relevant to your diagnosis. If you have been discharged then it is because your condition is benign and no treatment is required/available. If there are still concerns then these can be discussed with your GP who can contact the dermatology team if necessary.

Q. What if I have other lesions that I need reviewing?

A. Please contact your GP to discuss additional lesions. If your GP has referred you for a full skin examination then you will not be offered an appointment under this service.

Location of appointment

You will be invited either to Huntingdon Road Surgery, Granta Sawston Medical Practice or Ely Community Diagnositc Centre (CDC) for your teledermatology appointment.

Huntingdon Road Surgery

1 Huntingdon Rd
Cambridge
CB3 0DB

A small car park is available at the back of the practice.

Granta Sawston Medical Centre

London Rd
Sawston
Cambridge
CB22 3HU

Car parking at front of practice. Once inside the practice, reception staff will direct you to the waiting area for Teledermatology, located on the 1st floor.

Ely Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC)

Address: Princess of Wales Hospital, Lynn Road, Ely, CB6 1DN.

There is free parking, and a bus stop on the site.

Contacts / Further information

Email Clinic 7, Dermatology

Email Dermatology Secretaries

Dermatology Surgery Administrators

Appointment centre - 01223 274900

Dermatology surgery bookings - 01223 216091