OUR VISION Skin & Digital Summit

Vision

The Vision of the Skin & Digital Summit is to create and facilitate a comprehensive conversation about what advances in digital technology & artificial intelligence can bring to the Skin Business at large (dermatology, aesthetics, skincare).

As numerous skin centric digital start-ups are launched, at a time where DermAssist (Google) is CE-marked as a Class 1 Medical Device, and is currently undergoing further market testing through a limited release and with TikTok, Reddit & Instagram influencing the skin business, such conversation is of prime importance for the skin / dermatology communities.

The skincare industry is in prime position to apply advances in digital technology & artificial intelligence to its advantage. Other dermatology stakeholders would do well to take inspiration from the industry and develop adapted data-driven 24/7 engagement, hyper-personalized experience & integrated e-pharmacy or social commerce strategies.

If you have some questions about our vision, please contact Dominique du Crest on Twitter or via LinkedIN.

Skin Business

Skin disease is the 4th most common cause of human illness1-3 and there are around 3,000 skin pathologies.3,5 One third of the world population has been affected by at least one skin disease,1-3 while a new survey shows that 48% of the European population over 18 declared at least one dermatological condition.4 

The US dermatology treatment market is generating $75 billion,6 the global aesthetic market is evaluated at $15 billion and the skincare market will weight $200 billion by 2026. We estimate that the “skin business at large” is worth around $500 billion per year.

Beyond the need for new therapeutics, aesthetics and skincare innovations, the skin business is facing two main challenges – poor access to care and misinformation.

$500 billion per year

Poor access to care

Out of 2 billion people affected globally by skin conditions,7 it is estimated that more than 70% (or 1.4 billion) do not have access to a doctor for a consultation about their skin condition(s).8 Derm Assist, the AI tool from Google, has been designed to help patients identify their skin conditions9 and is set to improve access.10

In aesthetic dermatology, consultation rates are also low since the penetration of injectable procedures among women aged 25–55 years is less than 9% in the US and less than 1% in urban China.11

Misinformation

Health misinformation plagues the internet and some are referring to this is as ‘The Fake News Epidemic in Health’.12

A study carried out by dermatologists from the Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid (Spain) reveals that 64.7% of the content shared on social networks (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Reddit) about dermatology is imprecise or generates confusion.13,14

In a similar way beauty consumers face an “architecture of misinformation”15 and influencers are creating “a cycle of ignorance and misinformation”.16

Patient / consumer behaviour has undoubtedly shifted over recent years. As the digital footprint continues to grow, doctors and all skin stakeholders need to develop more engaging user experiences to improve access to care and social interactions that will encourage their audience to connect.

 

If you have some questions about our vision, please contact Dominique du Crest on Twitter or via LinkedIN.

References

  1. Hay RJ, Johns NE, Williams HC, et al. The global burden of skin disease in 2010: an analysis of the prevalence and impact of skin conditions. J Invest Dermatol. 2014;134(6):1527-34.
  2. Hay RJ, Augustin M, Griffiths CEM, et al. The global challenge for skin health. Br J Dermatol. 2015;172(6):1469-72.
  3. Bickers DR, Lim HW, Margolis D, et al. The burden of skin diseases: 2004 a joint project of the American Academy of Dermatology Association and the Society for Investigative Dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006;55(3):490-500.
  4. EurekAlert! Almost half of people in Europe have a skin problem or disease, new EADV survey reveals. October 1, 2021. Available at: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/930052.
  5. Fritsch P, Burgdorf W. The skin and its diseases: an overview. Eur J Dermatol. 2006;16(2):209-12.
  6. MDedge/Internal Medicine. Skin disease costs $75 billion a year. March 3, 2017. Available at: https://www.mdedge.com/internalmedicine/article/132680/practice-management/skin-disease-costs-75-billion-year.
  7. Jain A, Way D, Gupta V, et al. Development and Assessment of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Tool for Skin Condition Diagnosis by Primary Care Physicians and Nurse Practitioners in Teledermatology Practices. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(4):e217249.
  8. Tizek L, Schielein MC, Seifert F, et al. Skin diseases are more common than we think: screening results of an unreferred population at the Munich Oktoberfest. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2019;33(7):1421-8.
  9. BBC. Google AI tool can help patients identify skin conditions. May 18, 2021. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57157566.
  10. LinkedIn.com. Skin and Dermatology – When History meets AI. May 26, 2021. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/skin-dermatology-when-history-meets-ai-dominique-du-crest/.
  11. IMCAS. [Data from Clarivate Analytics]. World Tribune – What are the trends in Asia? Industry CEOs insights. July 13, 2021. Available at: https://www.imcas.com/en/academy/course/2700/asian-tribune-trends-ceo-insights.
  1. Daily Beast. The Fake News Epidemic in Health. May 2, 2018. Available at: https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-fake-news-epidemic-in-health.
  2. Redacción Médica. El 65% del contenido sobre Dermatología en redes sociales es “impreciso”. September 3, 2021. Available at: https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/dermatologia/informacion-dermatologia-redes-sociales-bulos-9830.
  3. Iglesias-Puzas Á, Conde-Taboada A, Aranegui-Arteaga B, López-Bran E. “Fake news” in dermatology. Results from an observational, cross-sectional study. Int J Dermatol. 2021;60(3):358-62.
  4. Cosmetics claims expert: Social media a ‘virulent source’ of misinformation. September 23, 2020. Available at: https://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Article/2020/09/22/Social-media-beauty-growth-must-be-truthful-and-avoid-misinformation-says-cosmetics-claims-expert
  5. New Documentary Says Influencers Create ‘Cycle of Ignorance and Also Misinformation’ About Plastic Surgery https://people.com/health/new-documentary-fillernation-beauty-influencers-cycle-ignorance-misinformation-plastic-surgery/