Using Network Oriented Research Assistant (NORA) Technology to Compare Digital Photographic With In-Person Assessment of Acne Vulgaris.

IMPORTANCE

Teledermatology has undergone exponential growth in the past 2 decades. Many technological innovations are becoming available without necessarily undergoing validation studies for specific dermatologic applications.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether patient-taken photographs of acne using Network Oriented Research Assistant (NORA) result in similar lesion counts and Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) findings compared with in-person examination findings.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND

PARTICIPANTS

This pilot reliability study enrolled consecutive patients with acne vulgaris from a single general dermatology practice in Los Angeles, California, who were able to use NORA on an iPhone 6 to take self-photographs. Patients were enrolled from January 1 through March 31, 2016. Each individual underwent in-person and digital evaluation of his or her acne by the same dermatologist. A period of at least 1 week separated the in-person and digital assessments of acne.

INTERVENTIONS: All participants were trained on how to use NORA on the iPhone 6 and take photographs of their face with the rear-facing camera.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Reliability of patient-taken photographs with NORA for acne evaluation compared with in-person examination findings. Acne assessment measures included lesion count (total, inflammatory, noninflammatory, and cystic) and IGA for acne severity.

RESULTS

A total of 69 patients (37 male [54%] and 32 female [46%]; mean [SD] age, 22.7 [7.7] years) enrolled in the study. The intraclass correlation coefficients of in-person and photograph-based acne evaluations indicated strong agreement. The intraclass correlation coefficient for total lesion count was 0.81; for the IGA, 0.75. Inflammatory lesion count, noninflammatory lesion count, and cyst count had intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.72, 0.72, and 0.82, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study found agreement between acne evaluations performed in person and from self-photographs with NORA. As a reliable telehealth technology for acne, NORA can be used as a teledermatology platform for dermatology research and can increase access to dermatologic care.