A reliability study using Network Oriented Research Assistant (NORA ^® ) examining the use of digital photographs in the assessment of psoriasis

Abstract

DEAR EDITOR, Psoriasis is a chronic immune-modulated condition affecting approximately 2-3% of the general population. 1 In addition to cutaneous lesions, psoriasis is associated with systemic and mental health comorbidities. 1 Psoriasis is among the most extensively researched dermatological conditions, with many novel treatment options in the drug development pipeline. Clinical trials can be costly and time-consuming. Telemedicine has the potential to improve and accelerate drug development by 'decentralizing' clinical trials, enabling patients to participate in trials remotely. 2 NORA â (Network Oriented Research Assistant) is a telemedicine-based software platform developed by Science 37, Inc. that facilitates decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) by connecting clinical trial teams to patients wherever they live. For the DCT model to be successful, investigators must be able to perform clinician-reported outcome measures reliably via telemedicine. The utility of telemedicine in the evaluation and management of psoriasis in clinical care settings has been documented. 3 Additionally, previous studies have demonstrated that telemedicine-based clinical assessments using standardized digital photographs are comparable with in-person assessments in several dermatological conditions. 4-6 This reliability study compares common psoriasis severity assessments performed via digital photographs against the same assessments performed in person. Five dermatology investigators, at two dermatology practices in Los Angeles, California,