JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Regular teledermatology services were implemented in Norway in the early 1990s. Based on the available technology at the time, live interactive video consultation systems were implemented to facilitate remote consultations between dermatologists and GPs. With the introduction of digital cameras some years later, store-and-forward systems were introduced, but the live video systems remained popular. In the 2000s and early 2010s there were little changes in the volume of Norwegian teledermatology services. During the 2010s private teledermatology companies emerged providing both store-and-forward and live interactive video consultations. While previous services involved specialists and GPs, the new services now offered patients to get in touch with dermatologists directly.

Objective:

To provide a brief overview of the development of telemedicine in Norway before and during the Covid-19 pandemic with special focus on teledermatology.

Methods:

This lecture provides a brief history of telemedicine in Norway with special attention to the impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The content is based on personal experiences and literature references.

Results:

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on all parts of society. In Norway it has also affected the way telemedicine is practiced. When the number of new infections increased substantially in early 2020, Norway was shut down. This had major consequences for the healthcare system. As a response the Norwegian government and health authorities strongly encouraged the use of telemedicine and put in place measures to support its use. Since then there has been a large increase in the number of live video consultations both in specialist and community health care.

Conclusions:

When the necessary technical infrastructure is in place, the remaining barriers to telemedicine use such as reimbursement and integration of healthcare systems can easily be overcome resulting in high adoption rates of telemedicine.