On Using a Mobile Application to Support Teledermatology: A Case Study in an Underprivileged Area in Colombia

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Medical Informatics
• Artificial Intelligence

Background:

• Mobile applications are increasingly used for remote dermatology diagnosis, especially in underserved rural regions.
• Ontologies, like ONTODerm, are knowledge systems aiding medical diagnosis.
• Limited data exists on combining mobile apps and ontologies for dermatology support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability of the ONTODerm ontology with a mobile app for remote dermatological diagnosis in underprivileged areas.
• To assess the accuracy of this combined system in supporting healthcare professionals without specialist training.

Main Methods:

• A mobile app was developed to characterize skin lesions and transmit data to the ONTODerm ontology.
• An exploratory study was conducted in a remote area lacking dermatologists.
• 64 dermatological queries were analyzed, with diagnoses validated by an experienced dermatologist.

Main Results:

• The system achieved a diagnostic accuracy probability between 64.4% and 85.6% (95% confidence interval).
• Higher accuracy was observed for lesions on the face or with poorly demarcated borders.

Conclusions:

• A teledermatology strategy using mobile apps and an ontology-driven knowledge base can assist healthcare professionals.
• This approach is relevant for rural Colombia, particularly in areas with limited access to specialists.
• Further improvements to the ontology are suggested for enhanced support in marginalized regions.