Augmented intelligence in dermatology
Answers in Practice
By Swapna Pachauri, MPH, manager, Health Technology & Informatics, August 1, 2021
Each month DermWorld tackles issues “in practice” for dermatologists. This month Swapna Pachauri, MPH, the Academy’s Health Technology & Informatics manager, discusses the potential role of augmented intelligence in dermatology.
How does augmented intelligence fit in the world of dermatology? Given the increased presence of artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented intelligence (AuI) in health care, we know our members are eager to learn more.
According to the Academy’s position statement on AuI, AI refers to a machine with human capabilities. For example, a machine that has the ability to classify skin lesions at the level of a physician would be considered to be artificially intelligent. Augmented intelligence is a “concept that focuses on artificial intelligence’s assistive role, emphasizing that AuI is designed to enhance human intelligence and the physician/patient relationship rather than replace it.”
Academy position statement
Learn more about augmented intelligence and its role in dermatology (PDF).
Background
In 2019, the Academy’s Board of Directors formally approved and established the Augmented Intelligence Task Force under the Health IT Committee (which sits under the Council on Practice Management). It was clear at the time that AuI would be growing and shaping the future of enhancing the patient visit for years to come, specifically in dermatologic diseases and conditions through different technology in health care. The Academy strives to remain at the forefront of technologic advancements in medicine and their application in dermatology.
The Academy conducted an AuI survey in 2020 to explore members’ perceptions of artificial and augmented intelligence as well as their potential impact on dermatology practices. The responses from the survey are assisting the Academy’s work with respect to future developments in AuI.
According to the Academy survey, some dermatologists fear that AuI would replace their role as a physician. However, others believe that it improves access as well as diagnoses over time:
2 in 3 dermatologists consider more efficient triage as a benefit of AuI in skin cancer screening
4 in 10 dermatologists think patients may be more motivated to seek out skin cancer diagnoses and treatment with the use of AuI
Close to 1 in 2 dermatologists believe AI offers better access to health care
3 in 10 dermatologists believe that AuI would lead to quicker diagnosis and less patient anxiety
Dermatologists are more positive about augmented intelligence than artificial intelligence with 65% agreeing that AuI would have a positive impact on their practices. As long as AuI focuses on delivering high-quality patient care, the Academy will support the development of different dermatology augmented intelligence models through the following:
Data
Model development
Model deployment and monitoring
New data
Clinical documentation and EHR optimization support
AuI has shown some promising potential with administrative burden in health care, particularly around clinical documentation in EHRs. According to the augmented intelligence survey, Academy members agree there is a need for AuI applications to assist more in administrative routine tasks such as documentation, clinical notes, coding, quality measurement reporting, and alleviating administrative burdens.
EHRs are beginning to incorporate AI into their platforms, and you should contact your vendor to determine if you have any add-ons that could streamline tasks in your practice. As the Academy explores providing options to dermatologists in the future, AI-powered clinical digital assistant programs are available that alleviate EHR documentation burdens among physicians across all specialties. For example, the more a dermatologist uses an AI-powered program in their practice for narrating patient clinical notes, the better it functions as it captures extensive data over time.
Dermatology perspectives on AI
Read more about how dermatologists feel about artificial intelligence.
The following AI-powered clinical digital assistant programs are available to enhance the physician-patient experience:
Suki*, an AI-powered, voice-enabled digital assistant that claims to support physicians across specialties with radically decreasing clinical documentation time and focuses on bringing back the “joy in medicine” and a better work-life balance. Suki uses AI, machine learning, and natural language processing to assist with patient notes, clinical documentation, and evaluation and management (E/M) codes through various EHRs.
Nuance*, also an AI-powered virtual assistant in health care, promises to empower health care teams to be more productive, assist with clinical documentation, provider communication, scheduling, task management, and much more, also through various EHRs.
In the future, Google will have its Medical Digital Assist* program. It is a project aspiring to tackle the power of artificial intelligence for note-taking and clinical documentation in medical examinations. It is meant to listen to conversations between physicians and patients and utilize touch technology, while improving accuracy over time.
Ultimately, the hope is that AuI applications have the capability of giving dermatologists more free time from their clinical notes and computers so they can put their focus more on patient-centered care. As a leader in dermatology, the Academy will continue to set priorities and identify opportunities for augmented intelligence to improve physician and patient care.
* The Academy shares these options on an informational basis only. It does not represent an endorsement by the Academy. Please compare, evaluate, and consider which ones best meet your needs.
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