Researchers at NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center have developed a remote diagnostic tool, SpotCheck, which demonstrates high accuracy in identifying melanoma. This system permits specialists to examine skin lesions remotely using dermoscopy.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, the researchers evaluated 375 skin lesions from 147 volunteers concerned about potential cancerous growths (up to three concerns per patient). The findings revealed that remote diagnoses made by dermoscopy experts were 91% accurate, closely matching the 93% accuracy of in-person clinical evaluations conducted by dermatologists.
“Our findings suggest that this method of teledermoscopy may not only help healthcare providers catch potentially dangerous skin cancers early, it may also reduce expensive, anxiety-causing referrals to specialists for benign lesions,” said David Polsky, MD, PhD, the study’s senior author in a press release. He is a professor in NYU Langone’s Department of Pathology and the Ronald O. Perlman Department of Dermatology.
Participants in the study responded to newspaper ads and underwent evaluations involving questionnaires about their personal and family history of skin cancer and melanoma risk factors. A general dermatologist conducted physical examinations and biopsies as needed. Clinical and dermoscopic images were captured and sent to a central server for review by remote specialists who were not informed of the in-person evaluations' outcomes.
A total of 97% of the evaluated lesions were later confirmed as benign through biopsy. Both in-person and remote methods detected 11 out of 13 cases of skin cancer, including two melanomas. Patient satisfaction with the telemedicine experience was high, with nearly 90% expressing satisfaction and one-fifth preferring it over traditional appointments.
The researchers believe SpotCheck's development is particularly promising for addressing healthcare disparities in lower-income populations with limited access to dermatologists. The technology enables early detection of melanoma, and the study emphasizes that most melanoma cases are initially identified by patients or their acquaintances, highlighting the importance of accessible diagnostic tools.
Dr. Polsky noted that teledermoscopy platforms could empower community health workers to collect images for expert review, potentially offering virtual triage services in various community settings. While SpotCheck shows promise for specific lesion assessments, Dr. Polsky cautions it is not a substitute for comprehensive full-body checks.
Other telemedicine tools such as MDLive and DirectDerm also offer high diagnostic accuracy. However, other platforms such as SkyMD and TeleDerm have lower accuracy rates, indicating variability in performance across different telemedicine solutions.
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