Dermatology

In dermatology, artificial intelligence is used for telemedical diagnostics and therapy. The current project focuses on patient self-management in the treatment of chronic wounds of the lower leg.

Involved Research Groups

Involved Institutions

Project

The teledermatology system Mobil Skin and the associated app mSkin® have proven themselves in the follow-up care of patients with chronic skin diseases and chronic wounds (chronic leg ulcers). Mobil Skin includes the app for smartphones or tablets, an online portal for the attending physician, a database, intelligent software and an encryption package for secure data transmission. Within the framework of this system, the patient is given the opportunity to take digital photos of the corresponding skin and wound areas and send them to the treating dermatologist. Using visual analogue scales (VAS 0-100), the patient can also document the associated signs of inflammation (including pain, redness and swelling). The dermatologist can use this information to confirm a new or progressive diagnosis and decide whether a change in therapy plan, a video conference or an appointment is necessary.

The teledermatology system Mobil Skin is enriched by the Digital Health Application (DiGA) mSkin® Patient. The telemedicine app-mediated interaction between patient and treating physician will be expanded to include recommendations for action based on the patient’s information in the DiGA, so that the DiGA provides assistance for self-treatment. The benefit of the DiGA is demonstrated as a patient-relevant structure and process improvement (pSVV) in a randomised controlled trial.

DiGA mSkin® Patient 

The mSkin® Patient application supports patients in the management/therapy of leg ulcers. It has been developed for use at home and on the go. The app consists of a diary for assessing typical symptoms and photos of the ulcer, supports the patient’s course of treatment and provides information about the clinical picture of leg ulcers and their secondary diseases. This makes it possible to recognise changes in the course of the disease and to suggest suitable recommendations for action to the patient based on an artificial intelligence algorithm (AI). The implementation of the recommended actions is guided by texts and images. mSkin® Patient provides information about the clinical picture and about measures that promote healing. The patient can present the collected data, such as the diary or the recommendations for action, to the treating doctor in the form of a report from the app.

The app is designed for mobile devices with Android and iOS operating systems. The use of the app requires a smartphone/tablet PC and an internet connection.

Risk-benefit assessment

The app mSkin® Patient informs patients with a chronic wound of the lower leg about the nature of the disease and about behaviours that support healing. Unfavourable developments can be detected at an early stage through the daily documentation of symptoms and photo documentation. Therapy adjustments based on the symptoms are indicated by the app, and if there is no improvement, a personal consultation with the treating doctor is recommended at an early stage.

It is therefore to be expected that the use of the mSkin® Patient app will reduce the patient’s risks due to the disease.