HIQA has today launched a public consultation seeking feedback from the public on its draft health technology assessment (HTA) of teledermatology to support the management of primary care referrals. This was requested by the Health Service Executive (HSE), with the aim of informing a decision on whether to introduce teledermatology for this purpose in Ireland.

If teledermatology is introduced, GPs will be able to include photos when referring a patient to a dermatologist. The dermatologist will use the photos alongside the referral letter to help decide how urgently the patient needs to be seen or whether their condition can continue to be managed in a primary care setting.

Demand for dermatology services in Ireland has risen due to an ageing population, increasing skin cancer rates, and advances in treatment for chronic skin conditions. Approximately 54% of the Irish population are affected by a skin condition each year. Between 2002 and 2021, melanoma rates increased by 33% among women and 140% among men.

Currently, approximately 8% of GP visits relate to a skin complaint, with almost 100,000 referrals made to public dermatology services in 2024. Demand for these services currently exceeds capacity. As of June 2025, there were over 56,000 adults and 10,000 children in Ireland on waiting lists for a consultant dermatologist appointment. Some patients must wait up to three years for a routine appointment.

Dr Conor Teljeur, HIQA’s Chief Scientist, said: “Without action, it is predicted that there will be more than 500,000 people on dermatology waiting lists in 10 years. Teledermatology has become more widely used over the past decade. It can be an effective way of meeting patient need without compromising on safety or efficacy when it’s used as part of a wider clinical pathway.”

Teledermatology would require investment in camera equipment for GPs. However, these costs would be partly offset by reduced dermatologist staffing requirements in the long term. Over 10 years, use of teledermatology would cost the HSE almost €3 million more than the current pathway, but allow management of an additional 270,000 patients.

Dr Teljeur continued “Teledermatology-supported management of referrals could help reduce some of the pressure on Irish dermatology services. However, other actions are required to fully address capacity shortages in this area, including an urgent need to recruit more consultant dermatologists.”

The public consultation on the draft findings of this HTA is now live, and HIQA is seeking feedback from the public and key stakeholders on this draft report.

Feedback should be submitted via survey, which can be completed online or downloaded and filled out. The deadline for submissions is 18 December 2025.

Following the consultation, all submissions will be reviewed and will inform the final version of the HTA, which will be published on HIQA’s website in 2026.

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Further information: 

Caoimhe O’Connell Communications Manager 087 639 5916
caoconnell@hiqa.ie 

Notes to the Editor:

• HIQA has today published the following document for public consultation:
  • Draft health technology assessment (HTA) of teledermatology to support the management of primary care referrals.
• The HSE Model of Care for Dermatology identifies teledermatology as a potential strategy to improve access to care, and to increase dermatologists' capacity to triage referrals effectively.
• At the end of January 2025, over 60,000 patients were waiting for a dermatology outpatient department appointment – 52% had been on the waiting list for 0-6 months, 26% for 6-12 months, 11% for 12-18 months, 8% for 18-36 months, and 3% for over 36 months.
• This HTA included a systematic review of 120 studies across 141 publications to examine the clinical efficacy, effectiveness, impact on service utilisation, and safety of teledermatology-supported management of primary care referrals compared with traditional direct referral.