Aysa is a first of its kind AI-driven app set to revolutionize the way consumers to educate themselves and make more informed decisions about their personal skin conditions. Aysa is trained through the VisualDx platform which combines clinical search and medical knowledge from experts with a database of more than 120,000 of the best medical images in the world.
But what does that really mean? With the power of machine learning, Aysa enables people with no medical background to use the app to assist in identifying more than 200 skin conditions with the click of a button. For example, if an itchy dry patch appears on your child’s arm after a family hike and you’re not sure what to do next, Aysa can help!
By simply scanning a picture of the infected area and answering a few questions, Aysa can help narrow down the possible condition. Whether its poison ivy, psoriasis or a number of other skin conditions, Aysa helps you decide what the next step in care should be. Can you find a topical, over the counter medicine to help with the itching? Should you make an appointment at the local minute clinic? Should you seek immediate emergency care?
In 2017, the average wait time in metro areas to see a dermatologist for a routine skin exam was 32 days. Using machine learning, Aysa is able to provide real-time results for skin photos taken in the privacy of a consumer’s home.
Skin rashes, which can range from annoying but benign to a sign of a serious condition, can look different on different skin types, even if they are the same condition. From psoriasis to eczema to herpes, skin conditions come in different shapes, sizes and severity. By simply taking a photo of one’s skin condition and answering a few questions, Aysa is able to generate a few possible answers in addition to next steps whether for self-care measures or for a visit with a health care provider.
“Aysa is a terrific tool to help narrow down a list of potential skin diagnoses. I recently had a large red spot on the area around my thumb and was concerned since I didn’t know what it could be,” said Jennifer, an early beta tester of the app, who lives in Boston. “With the help of Aysa, I was able to take a picture of the spot, answer a few questions and review some of the possibilities. Turns out the spot was something called a lime rash that I had gotten from squeezing limes a few days prior. Aysa correctly identified the rash on my hand and put my mind at ease before visiting a dermatologist. It was intuitive, easy to follow and a lot faster than what I normally do by searching the internet.”
VisualDx, the developer of Aysa, is a physician-led company with a deep knowledge base and understanding of dermatology making it uniquely qualified to bring this app to market. The company is introducing Aysa as a way to augment health research, but not replace the role of a clinician. In doing so, Aysa does not diagnose yet it is able to generate potential diseases and next steps for individuals with common skin conditions, thanks to the power of its world-class medical image library and the use of Apple’s CoreML, a framework designed to speed up machine learning tasks on the iOS operating system.
Because it is developed for iOS-based devices, Aysa can adjust its results based on a user’s medical history, thereby truly customizing the experience further for users. Because Apple enables users to aggregate existing health records from participating providers in the Apple Health app on iPhones, apps like Aysa and others, can interact with existing data with a user’s permission.
“Industry data suggests that nearly 80 percent of internet users have searched for a health-related topic online, however, 50 percent of the time these searches produce inaccurate information,” said Dr. Art Papier, CEO of VisualDx. “Consumers in the U.S. deserve better and Aysa can provide peace of mind by serving as the foundation for a productive visit to the doctor’s office. We want people to use their smartphones to get the right answers when they need it most, and for the answers to be drawn from the professional knowledge of physicians.”
Aysa, which will cost $9.99 for a one-year subscription, can be downloaded from the Apple App Store. For a limited time, new users can download Aysa free of charge. An Android version of Aysa is currently under development.
