In dermatology, real-world data plays a crucial role in understanding disease progression and optimizing treatment strategies. Actinic keratosis (AK), a common precancerous skin condition, requires tailored management approaches based on disease severity. OMNY Health’s vast dermatology dataset provides new insights into AK treatment patterns by leveraging structured electronic health records, including lesion count and patient-reported pain scores.
Measuring Disease Activity: A Data-Driven Approach
One of the unique aspects of OMNY Health’s dataset is the inclusion of real-world AK disease activity measures. Traditionally, treatment decisions for AK have been guided by lesion count, but OMNY’s data also incorporates pain scores using the 0-10 Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). This dual-measure approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of how AK severity impacts treatment decisions.
Linking Disease Severity to Treatment Patterns
Analyzing data from six specialty dermatology networks within the OMNY Health platform (2017-2024), researchers examined how lesion count and pain VAS influence real-world treatment strategies. The study included 334,410 patients with 704,665 assessments, highlighting distinct trends in treatment selection.
Key findings include:
- Fluorouracil prescriptions increased with lesion count but decreased with pain severity.
- Lesion destruction procedures (e.g., cryosurgery, electrosurgery) and photodynamic therapy became more common as pain scores increased.
- Treatment approaches remained relatively stable across different lesion counts, suggesting that pain level plays a more significant role in guiding intervention choices.
Clinical Implications: The Power of Real-World Dermatology Data
These findings emphasize the value of structured EHR measures in refining dermatological treatment strategies. By incorporating both lesion count and pain VAS, OMNY Health’s dataset enables providers and researchers to:
- Identify patterns in real-world clinical decision-making.
- Optimize treatment plans based on both physical disease burden and patient-reported symptoms.
- Treatment approaches remained relatively stable across different lesion counts, suggesting that pain level plays a more significant role in guiding intervention choices.
Next Steps: Expanding Real-World Evidence in Dermatology
OMNY Health continues to enhance its dermatology RWD offerings by integrating unstructured clinical notes and refining disease activity metrics. Future analyses could leverage clinical notes to provide richer insights into treatment rationale and long-term outcomes.
As dermatology evolves, real-world evidence will be essential in bridging the gap between clinical research and everyday patient care. OMNY Health’s commitment to data-driven insights ensures that providers have access to the most comprehensive, research-ready EHR datasets to inform their decisions.