The COVID-19 pandemic stimulated adoption of teledermatology via video and telephone modalities by outpatient dermatology clinics. However, it was unknown how patient-related factors may have impacted, whether video or phone visits were used, and if visit modality impacted management. Consequently, we conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of teledermatology visits occurring between March 30, 2020 and May 30, 2020 at an urban tertiary care center. A total of 788 teledermatology visits including 525 video visits and 263 telephone visits, mostly supplemented by patient-uploaded images, were analyzed. Patient age (P<0.001) and visit type (new versus return patient status), (P<0.001) were significant predictors of likelihood of video visit. No significant difference between video and telephone visits was found with regard to frequency of treatment modification (P=0.52), frequency of biopsy referral (P=0.73), biopsy noncompliance rate (P=0.44), or proportion of biopsies showing a new malignant lesion (P=0.92). With age as a significant predictor of visit modality, maintaining both video and phone modalities could prove useful to maximize patient participation. It appears either can be used without concern that choice of modality would impair the ability to change treatment, recognize a lesion requiring biopsy, recognize a new malignant lesion, or negatively affect compliance with biopsy.

Neurons use two main schemes to encode information: rate coding (frequency of firing) and temporal coding (timing or pattern of firing). While the importance of rate coding is well established, it remains controversial whether temporal codes alone are sufficient for controlling behavior. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of specific temporal codes are enigmatic. Here, we show in Drosophila clock neurons that distinct temporal spike patterns, dissociated from changes in firing rate, encode time-dependent arousal and regulate sleep. From a large-scale genetic screen, we identify the molecular pathways mediating the circadian-dependent changes in ionic flux and spike morphology that rhythmically modulate spike timing. Remarkably, the daytime spiking pattern alone is sufficient to drive plasticity in downstream arousal neurons, leading to increased firing of these cells. These findings demonstrate a causal role for temporal coding in behavior and define a form of synaptic plasticity triggered solely by temporal spike patterns.