Part II: Accuracy of Teledermatology in Skin Neoplasms

Teledermatology has been proving to be of great help for delivering healthcare, especially now, during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It is crucial to assess how accurate this method can be for evaluating different dermatoses. Such knowledge can contribute to the dermatologists' decision of whether t...

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Main Authors: Mara Giavina-Bianchi, Maria Fernanda Dias Azevedo, Raquel Machado Sousa, Eduardo Cordioli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2020.598903/full
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author Mara Giavina-Bianchi
Maria Fernanda Dias Azevedo
Raquel Machado Sousa
Eduardo Cordioli
author_facet Mara Giavina-Bianchi
Maria Fernanda Dias Azevedo
Raquel Machado Sousa
Eduardo Cordioli
author_sort Mara Giavina-Bianchi
collection DOAJ
description Teledermatology has been proving to be of great help for delivering healthcare, especially now, during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It is crucial to assess how accurate this method can be for evaluating different dermatoses. Such knowledge can contribute to the dermatologists' decision of whether to adhere to teledermatology or not. Our objective was to determine the accuracy of teledermatology in the 10 most frequent skin neoplasms in our population, comparing telediagnosis to histopathological report and in-person dermatologists' diagnosis. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in São Paulo, Brazil, where a store-and-forward teledermatology project was implemented under primary-care attention to triage surgical, more complex, or severe dermatoses. A total of 30,976 patients presenting 55,012 lesions took part in the project. Thirteen teledermatologists who participated in the project had three options to refer the patients: send them directly to biopsy, to the in-person dermatologist, or back to the general physician with the most probable diagnosis and management. In the groups referred to the in-person dermatologist and biopsy, we looked for the 10 most frequent International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-10 (ICD-10) of skin neoplasms, which resulted in 289 histopathologic reports and 803 in-person dermatologists' diagnosis. We were able to compare the ICD-10 codes filled by teledermatologists, in-person dermatologists, and from histopathological reports. The proportion of complete, partial, and no agreement rates between the in-person dermatologist's, histopathologic report, and the teledermatologist's diagnosis was assessed. We also calculated Cohen's kappa, for complete and complete plus partial agreement. The mean complete agreement rate comparing telediagnosis to histopathological report was 54% (157/289; kappa = 0.087), being the highest for malign lesions; to in-person dermatologists was 61% (487/803; kappa = 0.213), highest for benign lesions. When accuracy of telediagnosis for either malign or benign lesions was evaluated, the agreement rate with histopathology was 70% (kappa = 0.529) and with in-person dermatologist, 81% (kappa = 0.582). This study supports that teledermatology for skin neoplasms has moderate accuracy. This result reassures that it can be a proper option for patient care, especially when the goal is to differentiate benign from malign lesions.
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spelling doaj.art-b702bc19990142d48b125f3d2b8626f62022-12-21T21:33:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2020-11-01710.3389/fmed.2020.598903598903Part II: Accuracy of Teledermatology in Skin NeoplasmsMara Giavina-BianchiMaria Fernanda Dias AzevedoRaquel Machado SousaEduardo CordioliTeledermatology has been proving to be of great help for delivering healthcare, especially now, during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It is crucial to assess how accurate this method can be for evaluating different dermatoses. Such knowledge can contribute to the dermatologists' decision of whether to adhere to teledermatology or not. Our objective was to determine the accuracy of teledermatology in the 10 most frequent skin neoplasms in our population, comparing telediagnosis to histopathological report and in-person dermatologists' diagnosis. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in São Paulo, Brazil, where a store-and-forward teledermatology project was implemented under primary-care attention to triage surgical, more complex, or severe dermatoses. A total of 30,976 patients presenting 55,012 lesions took part in the project. Thirteen teledermatologists who participated in the project had three options to refer the patients: send them directly to biopsy, to the in-person dermatologist, or back to the general physician with the most probable diagnosis and management. In the groups referred to the in-person dermatologist and biopsy, we looked for the 10 most frequent International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-10 (ICD-10) of skin neoplasms, which resulted in 289 histopathologic reports and 803 in-person dermatologists' diagnosis. We were able to compare the ICD-10 codes filled by teledermatologists, in-person dermatologists, and from histopathological reports. The proportion of complete, partial, and no agreement rates between the in-person dermatologist's, histopathologic report, and the teledermatologist's diagnosis was assessed. We also calculated Cohen's kappa, for complete and complete plus partial agreement. The mean complete agreement rate comparing telediagnosis to histopathological report was 54% (157/289; kappa = 0.087), being the highest for malign lesions; to in-person dermatologists was 61% (487/803; kappa = 0.213), highest for benign lesions. When accuracy of telediagnosis for either malign or benign lesions was evaluated, the agreement rate with histopathology was 70% (kappa = 0.529) and with in-person dermatologist, 81% (kappa = 0.582). This study supports that teledermatology for skin neoplasms has moderate accuracy. This result reassures that it can be a proper option for patient care, especially when the goal is to differentiate benign from malign lesions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2020.598903/fullteledermatologytelemedicineaccuracy: skin neoplasmsskin cancerbenign skin lesionsmalign skin lesions
spellingShingle Mara Giavina-Bianchi
Maria Fernanda Dias Azevedo
Raquel Machado Sousa
Eduardo Cordioli
Part II: Accuracy of Teledermatology in Skin Neoplasms
Frontiers in Medicine
teledermatology
telemedicine
accuracy: skin neoplasms
skin cancer
benign skin lesions
malign skin lesions
title Part II: Accuracy of Teledermatology in Skin Neoplasms
title_full Part II: Accuracy of Teledermatology in Skin Neoplasms
title_fullStr Part II: Accuracy of Teledermatology in Skin Neoplasms
title_full_unstemmed Part II: Accuracy of Teledermatology in Skin Neoplasms
title_short Part II: Accuracy of Teledermatology in Skin Neoplasms
title_sort part ii accuracy of teledermatology in skin neoplasms
topic teledermatology
telemedicine
accuracy: skin neoplasms
skin cancer
benign skin lesions
malign skin lesions
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2020.598903/full
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