Online Dermatologist Consultation: Diagnosis and Prescription within 12 Hours

With Feeli, no need to wait 6 months to get a dermatologist appointment: online consultation with specialist doctors qualified in France is possible in under 12 hours and without an appointment. This flexible remote option is often invaluable for getting fast medical advice for common skin problems (rashes, lesions, itching...) without having to travel.

Why consult a dermatologist online on Feeli?

Care without an appointment, 7 days a week

With Feeli, you get access to care 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, designed to prioritise urgent skin problems (extensive and spreading rashes, apparent infections, acute allergic reactions, etc.) while also following up on chronic conditions. Feeli also gives you access to a dermatologist without an appointment, which helps reduce waiting times for access to care. Teleconsultation via Feeli also complies with the requirements and recommendations of the French National Authority for Health (HAS). In addition, secure instant messaging allows for smooth, synchronised exchanges and enables care to be redirected quickly if necessary. For example, the remote practitioner can prescribe a treatment by issuing an electronic prescription, or refer you for in-person care if a physical examination is essential. To guarantee the reliability of the diagnosis, Feeli requires protocols for collecting images and clinical information (structured questionnaire, close-up photos, overview) aligned with the recommendations of learned societies and experts.

A medical response within a few hours

If needed, Feeli enables a teleconsultation with an emergency dermatologist within 12 hours and without an appointment. For a large number of common skin conditions or benign lesions, teledermatology is well suited and provides a fast diagnosis. This helps reduce the time between the onset of skin symptoms and the start of appropriate treatment.

Dermatologists qualified in France

At Feeli, clinical decisions are made solely by qualified dermatologists, trained and registered in France: this means compliance with regulatory obligations, good practice and traceability of acts (report, electronic prescription). Teleconsultation companies must comply with a good-practice framework drawn up by the HAS and European learned societies. As a result, the diagnosis made remotely is reliable and secure.

Which skin conditions can be treated remotely?

Teleconsultation via Feeli allows treatments to be assessed, monitored and prescribed, provided the safety conditions for issuing a prescription are met. Common skin problems that can be diagnosed remotely include:

  •  Acne (in adults and teenagers): the online specialist can assess the lesions (blackheads, cysts, papules, nodules), and monitor the effectiveness of a topical treatment (topical antibiotics, topical retinoids) or a systemic one.

  •  Eczema and atopic dermatitis: teleconsultation is effective for grading the inflammation, diagnosing an itchy skin rash, adapting topical care (topical corticosteroids with an appropriate duration and dosage, emollients) and following up on flare-ups.

  •  Psoriasis: remotely, the practitioner can assess the plaques (extent, lesions in skin folds, scalp involvement), adjust topical medications and refer for medical tests if necessary. Teledermatology is commonly used for chronic inflammatory skin conditions.

  •  Fungal infections (nails, skin): teleconsultation allows for the diagnosis of a skin or nail infection (thickened nail, hyperkeratotic condition, peripheral redness), hygiene advice, prescription of a topical or oral treatment if appropriate, and monitoring of the response to treatment.

  •  Hives, redness and itching: acute or chronic rashes can be managed remotely: screening for general symptoms, antihistamine recommendations, prevention of complications and urgent referral if necessary (respiratory distress or systemic signs).

  •  Warts, cysts and benign lesions: visual assessment of common skin lesions (description: colour, size, growth, bleeding), advice on topical treatment or in-office removal if needed. Suspicious lesions (ulceration, rapid change in a mole, irregular redness) require an in-person consultation or a biopsy.

  •  Hair loss: initial assessment of the types of hair loss (androgenetic, alopecia areata, telogen effluvium) and setting up topical or oral treatments depending on the diagnosis.

How does a dermatology teleconsultation work?

A dermatology teleconsultation takes place in several steps: a pre-diagnosis questionnaire, sending quality photos, an exchange with the practitioner and diagnosis, and prescription of a treatment if necessary.

The pre-diagnosis medical questionnaire

Before the teleconsultation begins, the patient is asked to complete a structured questionnaire: medical history (current treatments, allergies, onset and progression of the rash or general symptoms (fever, pain, itching), location(s)... The aim of this questionnaire is to guide the practitioner (urgent triage vs follow-up) and to document the visible lesions. If necessary, further images may be requested. In short, this pre-triage increases the safety and relevance of the teleconsultation and of any prescriptions issued remotely.

Sending quality photos (digital dermoscopy)

Studies show that good-quality photos allow for strong diagnostic agreement in teledermatology. Here are a few tips for providing good-quality photos to your doctor:

  1• At least 2 shots: take a wide-angle photo (position on the body, context) plus a close-up photo.

  2• Lighting: prefer indirect natural light (avoid shadows and backlighting).

  3• Stability: use a stand to rest your phone on (or use both hands) to avoid blur.

  4• Scale: place an object of known size (a coin, a ruler) next to the lesion to indicate its size.

  5• Multiple angles: take photos from the side, from the front, and if possible after gently stretching the skin to better see the outline of the rash.

  6• Dermoscopy: if you have a mobile dermatoscope accessory, you can attach a dermoscopic image to increase sensitivity when sorting suspicious lesions.

The exchange with the practitioner and the diagnosis

During the exchange, the dermatologist compares the questionnaire with the photos and asks precise questions (pain, signs of infection, progression). If the lesion appears suspicious (rapid change, asymmetry, ulceration, bleeding) or if the dermoscopic examination is insufficient, the practitioner may refer you for in-person care for a biopsy or sample. That said, the rate of diagnostic agreement in teledermatology versus in-person consultations is high for common conditions, but strongly depends on the quality of the photos.

Online prescription and teleconsultation report

If a treatment is indicated (topical treatment, topical medication, antibiotic therapy, antifungal, corticosteroids, etc.), an electronic prescription can be issued during the teleconsultation. Accessible from a secure patient area, this prescription is valid in France and, subject to local rules, in certain countries of the European Union. A structured report (diagnosis, treatment, dosage, warning signs to watch for) is also provided in the patient's file. A follow-up appointment can also be scheduled as a teleconsultation to assess the response to treatment.

Dermatology consultation pricing and reimbursement

In France, reimbursement of a teleconsultation depends on two distinct factors:

  1. Compliance with the medical and administrative conditions (patient identification, traceability, quality of care);

  2. The status of the organisation providing the teleconsultation (an approved company or a simple matchmaking tool).

Compliance with the coordinated care pathway also matters a great deal. Regarding the cost of a dermatologist, it depends on the practitioner's fee sector:

  • In sector 1 (standard rate), a dermatologist consultation is charged around 31.50 euros.

  • In sector 2, the dermatologist may charge fee excesses (capped if a member of OPTAM, unrestricted otherwise): rates vary widely and are generally between 60 and 150 euros.

Via Feeli, a dermatology teleconsultation is charged at a single price of 55 euros (outside the coordinated care pathway).

What is approval for a teleconsultation company?

The approval issued by the State allows a teleconsultation company to bill teleconsultations to the French health insurance (Assurance Maladie). As a result, when patients follow the coordinated care pathway, they receive the same reimbursement as for an in-person consultation. If the platform does not hold this approval, the acts carried out by salaried doctors via that company cannot be reimbursed by the Assurance Maladie (even if the practitioner is a doctor). However, some complementary health insurers may cover part of the cost.

Reimbursement by the Assurance Maladie: what are the conditions?

Here are the conditions for a teleconsultation to be reimbursed by the Assurance Maladie:

  • Possible reimbursement: a teleconsultation is reimbursable if it meets the conditions set by the Assurance Maladie (patient identification, authorised practitioner, traceability, compliance with the coordinated care pathway where it applies). In practice, reimbursement of a teleconsultation follows the same fee rules as in-person care.

  • Indicative rate: reimbursement by the Assurance Maladie is 70%, with the rest covered by the patient's complementary health insurance. Some patients may be eligible for 100% cover (maternity, long-term conditions, etc.). As teleconsultations via Feeli are outside the coordinated care pathway, they are not currently reimbursed by the Assurance Maladie. However, some complementary insurers may cover some or all of the cost.

Frequently asked questions about online dermatology (FAQ)