Distributed personal health information management system for teledermatology

Abstract

Teledermatology has proven to be a reliable method to provide specialist consultation for skin diseases remotely without a face-to-face visit. However, for maximum acceptance in any clinical setting, the teledermatology system must be customized to suit that setting. This is to ensure better integration of the new technology with the existing workflow. The aim of the thesis is to develop the distributed personal health information management system (DPHIMS) implementing a store-and-forward teledermatology module customized for Singapore. The thesis also aims to evaluate the effectiveness of DPHIMS with the store-and-forward teledermatology module, when used as a regular tool in a specific clinical setting. A nursing home for senior citizens in Singapore was chosen to conduct the study and a clinical trial was conducted from October 2005- July 2007.