Adeline Mei-Yen Yong and Ng Jingwen
Background: Dermatological conditions are a frequent reason for consultation at the emergency department (ED). The advent of Teledermatology has reduced inaccurate diagnoses and unnecessary hospitalisations. We aim to assess the level of knowledge of ED physicians in recognition of common skin lesions. This can further suggest improvements in continuous medical education as well as the medical school dermatology curriculum and evaluate the educational and service value of Teledermatology.
Methods and findings: ED Physicians in a tertiary hospital in Singapore were surveyed with a 15-slides questionnaire based on identification of common dermatological and life-threatening conditions in the local population. The final summative score out of a maximum total of 15 showed average scores of medical officers, registrars and consultants to be 9.9 (66%), 7.3 (48%) and 11 (73%) respectively. Correlation analyses performed for years of practice and scores showed a value of -0.341.
Conclusions: A negative correlation between years of medical practice and questionnaire scores prompts further opportunities for continued medical education and multidisciplinary exchange of knowledge.
