Shortage of Spanish Dermatologists

Many of you will be familiar with the difficulties in making an appointment for a dermatologist.

This problem exists in both public and private medical sectors.

''Dermatology by Imaging": A Way Forward That Works

Instead of waiting weeks to sit face-to-face with a specialist, a patient visits a clinic or hospital.

High-Definition Capture:

A trained technician or nurse uses a digital dermatoscope camera these days built into a phone,

a specialised magnifying device with polarised lighting—to take high-resolution, multi-layered photographs of the skin lesion or mole.

Clinical Mapping:

These images capture pigment patterns and vascular structures invisible to the naked eye.

Remote Specialist Review:

The images are securely uploaded alongside a digital clinical questionnaire to an online platform.

A remote dermatologist reviews the file asymmetry, borders, and colouring asynchronously, usually delivering a diagnostic report within 24 to 48 hours.

The Impact on Care Efficiency Data presented through digital health hubs, such as the Barcelona Health Hub, demonstrates the value of this approach.

Triaging Speed:

Remote assessments take roughly 5 minutes compared to a standard 20-minute physical visit, quadrupling a single doctor's capacity to screen patients.

Prioritising Skin Cancer:

Benign conditions receive fast treatment plans via electronic prescriptions.

If the imaging system flags a lesion showing rapid growth or structural anomalies indicative of melanoma, the patient skips the regular queue and is immediately booked for an urgent in-person biopsy or surgery.

While telemedicine and imaging cannot entirely replace hands-on diagnostic palpation or surgical intervention, they have evolved from a luxury pandemic-era alternative into an absolute necessity for managing Spain’s specialist dermatology shortages.

Many Private Hospitals adopt dermatology by Imaging and offer this option on their phone APP when you search for dermatologists. Hospiten & Quiron are two well-known Spanish Private Hospitals that offer this option.

Article by:

Francis Payne, Tailor Made Healthcare Spain.