Community

The goal of our project, Teledermatology in Rural Georgia, is to bring skin cancer screening and education to Georgia’s citizens living in rural or remote areas of our state, without easy access to dermatological services.

This section of our web site is dedicated to YOU! Here’s what “Telederm” can do for you:

Diagnosis

• Do you have a spot on your skin that has recently appeared?

• Do you have a mole that has changed shape, color, size, or texture?

• Is there anything on your skin that worries you?

• What about a family member, especially someone who works or spends a lot of time outside? Do they have a new spot or sore that has not healed on their face, ears, back of the neck, scalp, arms, hands, or back?

All you have to do is show the spot or area of concern to a healthcare provider at one of our participating clinics. You can do this when you come to the clinic for another reason or your annual check-up, or you can make an appointment specifically to have someone look at your skin or a mole that has changed. Your provider will be able to rapidly consult with an expert dermatologist at Augusta University by simply taking a picture of the spot with a small attachment (called a MoleScope) to their smartphone and sending the picture to a dermatologist in Augusta. The dermatologist will examine the picture and give your healthcare provider a diagnosis and treatment options, usually within an hour. Many times, the spot is “benign,” and may need no further treatment. Or, if it is more serious, we will help you find a dermatologist in your area, or provide you with the option of coming to Augusta for treatment.

Skin Cancer Prevention

There are a number of reasons why some people may be at higher risk of developing skin cancer than others. We want you to know about your risk factors and what you can do to avoid developing skin cancers or other skin disorders. Part of our Teledermatology program is to provide our community members with educational tools about skin cancer prevention as well as about other more common cancers (e.g., breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer) and how to avoid them (e.g., healthy eating, exercise, and quitting tobacco use and vaping). These educational materials will be available to you in different ways:

• We will have links on this web site to articles that you can read either on your own electronic devices (computer, smartphone, or tablet) or that you can read directly on electronic devices at your clinic.

• We will periodically provide electronic presentations you will be able to view “live, in real time” at your clinic; alternatively, if you can't make it to the live presentation, you will be able to view a recorded version on your own electronic device, on your own schedule.