Healio highlights top eight dermatology articles for patients with skin of color

Healio Dermatology is highlighting its recent, most read stories dedicated to patients with skin of color.

This compilation of articles includes industry updates, treatment guidelines and information about furthering diversity and inclusion in the dermatology practice.

‘Other approaches are needed’ for melanoma detection among patients with skin of color

In a research letter published in JAMA Dermatology, Laura K. Ferris, MD, PhD, of the department of dermatology at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote about the continued treatment disparities of melanoma among individuals with skin of color. They found that of 60,680 patients with skin of color, only eight were diagnosed with melanoma, with two being considered high risk. Although melanoma incidence is rare among patients with skin of color, survival continues to be poor. Read more.

AI doubles diagnostic accuracy of skin conditions among patients with skin of color

Artificial intelligence (AI) was highly successful in diagnosing skin disease among patients with Fitzpatrick skin types IV to VI, according to a study, with AI achieving 86.5% accuracy among patients with skin of color. The study found that AI was most successful in diagnosing non-neoplastic conditions with an accuracy of 90.98% followed by neoplastic conditions at 77.78%. Read more.

‘Open your doors’: Pathways program seeks to double diversity among dermatologists by 2027

Launched in 2022 by the American Academy of Dermatology in collaboration with Kenvue (formerly Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health) and Janssen, Pathways: Inclusivity in Dermatology is a program dedicated to doubling the number of dermatologists who are from Black, Latino and Indigenous communities by 2027. In this article, Healio spoke with Daphne Chan, PhD, MHEcon, head of U.S. Dermatology Medical Affairs at Janssen, about this program. Read more.

Increase in Google searches for skin of color sunscreen signals need for patient education

Google searches about sunscreen use for patients with skin of color have quadrupled since 2006, giving dermatologists a prime opportunity to increase sunscreen education in this population, according to a study. Healio spoke with the study’s author, Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc, associate professor of clinical dermatology at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, who emphasized that this positive shift signals to dermatologists that they must educate patients from this population on proper sun safety practices. Read more.

Dermatological clinical trials lack racial, ethnic diversity

Regardless of higher rates of disease, individuals with skin of color were underrepresented in dermatological clinical trials, with those who were Black or African American being most underrepresented, according to a study. Fields of study where patients of color were underrepresented the most include acne (12.6%), atopic dermatitis (11.6%) and alopecia (7.9%). The study authors told Healio that these disparities can impact how patients respond to treatments and that clinicians need to make greater efforts to enroll patients of color in their trials. Read more.

Patients with skin of color see fewer complications with shorter Nd:YAG laser duration

Lasers are often underutilized in patients with skin of color due to pigmentary complications. However, patients with skin of color that were treated with a 650 second pulsed nm Nd:YAG laser for hirsutism, rosacea or pseudofolliculitis barbae reported no complications, according to a poster presented at the Skin of Color Society Scientific Symposium in March. Read more.

TikTok ‘excellent opportunity’ for dermatologists to create skin of color content

According to a study published in Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 57.1% of TikTok posts containing dermatological content for people with skin of color were found to be educational; however, the majority of videos were not created by dermatologists. In fact, more than half of the content posted was from vloggers or individuals from personal accounts and only 18.7% was posted by dermatologists. According to the authors, dermatologists should take more advantage of TikTok as a platform to educate patients. Read more.

Real-life data show dupilumab safe for Black patients with atopic dermatitis

Only 25% of Black patients treated with dupilumab for atopic dermatitis experienced adverse events compared with 51% of white patients, according to a presentation at the Skin of Color Society Scientific Symposium in March. However, the difference was not statistically significant. Nevertheless, the presenter explained that dupilumab continues to be safe for people from all different backgrounds. Read more.