How does online dermatology compare to in-person care?

For many patients, the debate between virtual and in-person care comes down to receiving expert care online this week versus receiving expert care in person next month. Done well, online dermatology transforms the smartphone camera into part of a longitudinal medical record. Equivalent OutcomesThe strongest argument for online dermatology is that, for appropriately selected conditions, it can produce clinical results comparable to office care. More recently, a 2026 randomized trial of 300 adults and children with atopic dermatitis found that asynchronous online care produced improvements equivalent to in-person care across clinician-assessed disease severity, patient-reported symptoms, and global disease assessments. For nonurgent problems and those requiring management over time, however, online dermatology can be better than in-person.