The teledermatology start-up of Switzerland onlinedoctor.de now also starts its dermatological expertise in Germany from Hamburg by consulting a dermatologist via photo. After 48 hours at the latest assessment of the skin of the desired dermatologist arrives at the patient. The advantages of telemedical consultations are no long journeys and waiting times in the practice of the established doctor, but also no long waiting times for appointments. More than 20 percent of all Swiss dermatologists already use the OnlineDoctor tool to assess skin diseases such as rashes, tick bites, blisters and wounds, and much more. A personal visit is only necessary in 15 percent of all cases that are seen there by photo. For 85 percent of the patients, an assessment with the help of three photos is completely sufficient. Paul Scheidegger is the founder of the online platform „OnlineDoctor“, which is very well established in Switzerland and has already received several awards. For example, the young company, which was founded in St. Gallen in 2016 and has already raised over 2.5 million Swiss francs from investors, has already been named the most innovative start-up in Switzerland. Now the company, which is headed in Germany by Leonie Sommer as Managing Director, is focusing on nationwide expansion for the time being. The Professional Association of German Dermatologists, BVDD for short, is already a partner of the digital health solution. 90 percent of all German dermatologists are organized in the BVDD, so that the platform will be an innovative addition to the „dermatologist“ system, offering growth potential nationwide, especially in rural, underserved areas. After submitting the bill, private health insurance companies will pay the cost of 39 euros for a consultation, which will reduce costs and time. At present, those insured by law have to pay for the expertise themselves. However, Sommer believes that reimbursement will quickly become common practice here as well. The concept of online doctors is relatively simple. Patients choose the dermatologist of their choice, who will ask about the skin problems. In a query, images of the skin problem are uploaded and sent and the fee is paid. The diagnosis is then sent within a few hours in encrypted form using data transfer with two-factor authentication. The patient receives an e-mail with the recommendation for action and an SMS code with which the diagnosis can then be downloaded.
