Artificial Intelligence Virtual Clinic Launches in Massachusetts

Piction Health Dermatology, a groundbreaking dermatology practice powered by artificial intelligence (AI), has launched in the state of Massachusetts.¹

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With the addition of Massachusetts cities including Boston and Cambridge, the virtual clinic now has 41 locations and also serves the states of Connecticut, Florida, and New Hampshire. Its mission is to democratize dermatologic care and improve patient access.

Piction Health Dermatology CEO, Susan Conover, was motivated to develop a system to improve patient access to care after her own skin cancer scare in her early 20s. It took 3 months for Conover to see a dermatologist for a suspicious mole, and after a biopsy, it turned out that the mole was cancerous.

"Our mission is to break down barriers by making dermatology services readily available to everyone, with 90% less friction," Conover said.¹ "With our rapidly growing virtual clinic, we're enabling people to receive expert dermatological care right in the comfort of their own homes."

Piction is powered by a database of more than 500,000 dermatologic images. With Piction, patients first complete an online medical intake questionnaire. Then, they are prompted to upload a minimum of 3 images of their skin concern. Within 48 hours, a board-certified dermatologist is able to then evaluate the images and provide the patient with insight.

It is estimated that 2 out of 3 patients are able to receive treatment plans in the online clinic setting. In the other percentage of patients whose cases demand in-person care, Piction also aids patients in finding in-person dermatology providers to address their concerns.

"Piction has built a patient-first dermatology clinic that makes AI useful to the average healthcare consumer,” said Joseph Kvedar, MD, in a press release from Piction.¹ Kvedar is a past chair of the American Telemedicine Association and professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School.

“The rapid uptake by patients shows that a wide variety of people are comfortable with this mode of care delivery - from younger digital natives who may avoid care altogether if it weren't for Piction, to older Americans more accustomed to traditional visits," Kvedar said.

Reference

1. Groundbreaking AI-powered dermatology practice launches in Massachusetts, meets unprecedented demand. Business Wire. August 10, 2023. Accessed August 14, 2023. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230810524023/en/Groundbreaking-AI-Powered-Dermatology-Practice-Launches-in-Massachusetts-Meets-Unprecedented-Demand.