A new study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology (JID) found that VisualDx's artificial intelligence solution, DermExpert, analyzed skin conditions with the same degree of accuracy as primary care physicians (PCPs) referencing a visual aid. The researchers also found that DermExpert was equally effective when identifying diseases in light and dark skin types, suggesting that clinical decision support tools built on diverse data sets can augment physician decision-making and help to reduce medical errors and improve patient outcomes, particularly for patients of color. Diagnosing the skin remains challenging as dermatologic disease presentation varies widely, and most medical schools offer 10 hours or less of dermatology-specific instruction. To contextualize general practitioners' ability to diagnose skin conditions, the research team compared the accuracy of board-certified internal medicine physicians to DermExpert. When presented with a series of clinical images, PCPs accurately diagnosed skin conditions 36% of the time; with the assistance of a visual aid, their diagnostic accuracy increased to 68%.

Six clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) across south east London will soon be able to access VisualDX's AI-powered visual diagnostic tool, as per terms of a deal between the NHS and the healthcare software company. The move, which focuses on enhancing diagnostic accuracy and aiding therapeutic decisions and diagnosis, marks a first for VisualDX, as it launches its first foothold into the UK's National Health Service (NHS). Art Papier, chief executive officer of VisualDX, said: "This agreement with NHS CCGs in South East London helps patients and clinicians alike to share in the decision-making process to optimise patient-centred outcomes in the pursuit of clinical excellence." According to the ECRI Institute, misdiagnoses took the top spot for safety concern among patients. While the cause for each misdiagnosis varies, VisualDX has build a library of more than 41,000 peer-reviewed medical images to help physicians, especially generalists, to make better informed diagnoses by allowing direct imagery comparison and offering diagnostic possibilities.