Google wants to answer that for you with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
The search giant’s new dermatology feature, revealed for the current week, utilizes machine learning to distinguish 288 different skin ailments ranging from acne to melanoma dependent on user-submitted photos.
“In a matter of seconds, you will have a list of possible matching dermatological conditions,” said Dr. Karen DeSalvo, the company’s chief health officer and a former assistant secretary of health under the Obama administration, adding that the tool will be “inclusive of a range of skin types and tones.”
Google gets almost 10 billion searches identified with skin, nail and hair issues every year, the organization said. However, clients may experience issues describing their conditions through search terms alone. The organization’s photo-based tool is intended to cover 90% of the most frequently searched dermatology-related questions.
Epidermis-minded Europeans will actually want to get to the feature within months on the grounds that the EU has already cleared it as a “low-risk” medical gadget, Google said. The technology has not yet been approved for use in the US.
As per an investigation published in the medical journal Nature Medicine a year ago, Google’s tool is similarly as precise at recognizing skin conditions as a group of dermatologists — and outperforms non-specialists like primary care doctors and nurse practitioners.
In any case, Google says you shouldn’t bid farewell to the dermatologist’s office yet.
“The tool is not intended to provide a diagnosis nor be a substitute for medical advice as many conditions require clinician review, in-person examination, or additional testing like a biopsy,” the company cautioned in a blog post. “Rather we hope it gives you access to authoritative information so you can make a more informed decision about your next step.”