Dermicus AI support for skin cancer under development in Medtech4Health's latest newsletter
29 November 2023
Dermicus is developing a new AI support for earlier detection, diagnosis and treatment of malignant melanoma and other skin cancers. In Medtech4Health’s newsletter for November, attention is paid to Dermicus’ collaborative project together with Skåne University Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital and Chalmers Industriteknik, which has been granted funding through the Swelife and Medtech4Health collaboration announcement. The project is to be completed by the summer of 2024.
Read the full article (in Swedish) “Meet one of Medtech4Health’s funded projects developing an AI support for better diagnosis of skin cancer”.
For more background, see news 9 June, 2022 “Research project in AI and skin cancer receive Vinnova funding”.
Stockholm – primary care centres show strong performance
The widespread adoption of teledermatoscopy in Stockholm has yielded swift and impressive results. Recent statistics from Karolinska University Hospital reveal that primary care centres are significantly more efficient, with considerably shorter lead times for surgeries of suspicious skin lesions compared to other hospitals and private skin care providers.
Diagram for Region Stockholm. Days from the initial appointment at the primary care centre to excision between 1 November 2022, and 23 May 2023 (see below). Primary care centres (blue) compared to surgeries by private skin clinics/care providers (yellow) or in hospitals (green).
The introduction of teledermatoscopy in the region necessitates continuous knowledge development and maintenance throughout the entire chain. It includes ensuring that all primary care centres have at least one or two doctors proficient in dermatoscope use for assessments.
Follow up and ongoing research on AI support
The steering group in Stockholm overseeing the teledermatoscopy function will consistently monitor its effects through quality studies, offering insights for future guidelines. Research, funded by The Regional Cancer Centre, is underway to study the behaviour of examining dermatologists — how they react and operate with AI support in teledermatoscopy compared to without. This knowledge is crucial as AI becomes increasingly integrated into various healthcare contexts.
“Over just the past year, 10,000 teledermatoscopy cases have provided fantastic opportunities to train AI on extensive datasets,” says Jan Lapins, MD, PhD, and Associate Professor specializing in skin cancer diagnostics and therapy at Karolinska University Hospital.
See also July Karolinska University Hospital, news 14 July 2023 in Swedish, “New method can save more people from skin cancer”.
Primary care centres of Skåne have implemented of Dermicus technology
The majority of Region Skåne’s primary care centres now offer faster assessment of skin changes through teledermatoscopy.
New statistics announced in August show that in recent 12 months, 3,546 suspicious skin lesions in Region Skåne have been sent in and assessed by skin specialists using Dermicus’ teledermatology platform. The average response time is 40 hours.
“Teledermatoscopy is a crucial component. Compared to the traditional referral process, assessing skin changes by a specialist is faster. It also enables quicker dismissal of harmless skin changes,” says Gustav Christensen, senior physician at the Skin Clinic at Skåne University Hospital, Region Skåne, in the news in Swedish 29 August 2023, “Remote Assessment Important for Early Detection of Skin Cancer.”
For more information, please contact
Peter Kinhan, +32 47 680 34 26, peter.kinhan@demicus.com
Daniel Eliasson, +46 760 405 012, daniel.eliasson@dermicus.com
About Dermicus
Dermicus AB, formerly known as Gnosco, is a digital health company that helps its clients transform the diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions with solutions for teledermatology, telewoundcare and skin imaging. Their mission is to help healthcare providers re-engineer the diagnostic and treatment processes of skin conditions with purpose-built technology and proven implementation methods. Derm Analytics/BDEM-01 as medical devices and the Dermicus platform is flexible and built to be configured to different care settings including hospitals, dermatology practices, primary care centres, pharmacies, nursing homes, visiting nursing.
For more information, please visit our website at www.dermicus.com