A new handheld device uses AI to screen for skin cancer: Dermatologist explains how it works

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Key Takeaways

Primary care clinicians are typically the first to assess suspicious skin lesions, deciding on monitoring or specialist referral.
DermaSensor, an FDA-approved AI device, aids primary care by scanning lesions and suggesting "Investigate Further" or "Monitor."
The device aims to minimize unnecessary referrals for benign lesions, enhancing decision-making in primary care.
Dermatologist Rebecca Hartman highlights the device's sensitivity and specificity, underscoring its utility in primary care settings.

DermaSensor is a new FDA-approved handheld that is designed to scan and assess skin lesions in the primary care clinical setting. Rebecca Hartman, MD, MPH, describes how it works.

The first health care professional to examine a skin lesion that appears suspicious to a patient is most frequently the primary care clinician. Whether the lesion is of greater concern than a normal dermatologic variation or perhaps an age-related change will be the frontline clinician's next assessment, followed by a decision to watch or to make a referral to a specialist.

In an interview with Patient Care® dermatologist Rebecca Hartman, MD, MPH, described DermaSensor, a new FDA-approved handheld, AI-based device designed to scan and assess skin lesions in the primary care clinical setting. The device returns 1 of 2 responses following a scan: “Investigate Further,” indicating a referral, or “Monitor,” an outcome which could help rule out a majority of unnecessary referrals for benign lesions.

In the short video above, Hartman describes the device technology and highlights its sensitivity and specificity when used in primary care.