Effect of Teledermatology on Length of Hospital Admission, Length of Stay, 30 Day Readmission Rate, and Antibiotic Use in Patients Presenting With Cellulitis vs Pseudocellulitis in an Academic ED Setting

The Investigator hope to determine if the implementation of teledermatology in the emergency
department (ED) at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is beneficial in
diagnosing cases of cellulitis and pseudocellulitis conditions. Prior studies have indicated
that misdiagnosis may occur in up to 28% of patients in the ED with these conditions.
Additionally, dermatological consults have been shown to change diagnosis or management of
these conditions in more than 60% of the patients examined. Without the use of
teledermatology, however, a dermatological consult would be prohibitively expensive and take
time to obtain. The investigator proposes that by utilizing teledermatology in emergency
rooms, the investigator can make faster, yet just as accurate, dermatological diagnoses in
patients presenting with cellulitis-like symptoms. Subsequently, by reducing the number of
misdiagnoses, unnecessary use of antibiotics and hospitalizations will also decrease,
lowering health care costs and simultaneously providing patients with faster treatment of the
actual dermatologic condition.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Over 18

- Present to the ED with cellulitis-like symptoms, including but not limited to the
following: tenderness, redness, swelling, expansive lesion

Exclusion Criteria:

- pregnant

- prisoner