Validation of Image Quality and Diagnostic Accuracy Using a Mobile Phone Camera Microscope Adaptor Compared With Glass Slide Review in Teledermatopathology.

New modalities of evaluating histopathology, such as whole-slide imaging, have been validated in the field of dermatopathology but are often unfeasible and unavailable in developing countries. Widely available across the globe, mobile phone camera technology represents a potential simple and inexpensive method of imaging histologic slides through the use of a mobile phone camera microscope adaptor. This study aims to validate the use of a commercially available adaptor in the diagnosis of inflammatory and infectious conditions in dermatopathology. Representative images were taken of slides for fifty-four cases using the adaptor and shared through a cloud-based platform with five dermatopathologists who rendered diagnoses and judged the quality of the images. After a washout period of 8 weeks, the same cases were assessed by the same dermatopathologists using the original glass slides. The intraobserver concordance rate was 93.3%, and the quality of the mobile phone images was rated as "excellent" or "diagnostic" in 94.4% of the cases. This study validates the use of this low-tech and low-cost adaptor as a reliable tool in teledermatopathology. Limitations of the study include those inherent to use of the adaptor and the limited panel of diagnoses. The primary value of this device may be in developing countries, but its practicality and ease of use lend itself to use in academic and consultative settings in the developed world as well.

Research Techniques Made Simple:Teledermatology in Clinical Trials.

Telemedicine is well established as a means of providing high-quality healthcare at a distance, particularly to patients in underserved populations. Technologies in teledermatology can be used to complement traditional methodologies of clinical trials, expanding accessibility of trials to people typically unable to participate in research. Tools of communication technology may enhance many aspects of clinical trials in dermatology, from recruitment and retention of participants to collection of real-time data. Clinical trials can be made completely virtual or incorporate aspects of virtual technologies at any stage of research. Virtual clinical trials are considered highly patient-centered, as the ability of participants to engage with research staff from their own home often supplants the need for many or all on-site clinic visits. As technological advances influence every aspect of modern life, clinical trials will also evolve to incorporate these tools, meeting participant expectations and overcoming traditional challenges of conducting research. Virtual clinical trials come with specific issues pertaining to analysis of data, technology, and oversight. As more virtual trials are conducted, advantages and limitations of using such technology in research will become clearer and regulatory guidelines will be more firmly established.