Studying and Reducing Visual Perception Errors in Remote Dermatology Image Review

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how visual serial dependencies VSDs affect the accuracy of lesion detection and diagnosis in remote store-and-forward teledermatology. This method, which allows clinicians to review dermatological images remotely, is widely used but may be impacted by the way prior image viewings influence current observations. The study aims to establish, identify, and reduce the negative impact of VSDs on clinical judgments in this setting to improve diagnostic accuracy. Participants, including both clinicians and non-clinicians, will take part in computer-based psychophysical experiments involving the visual search, detection, localization, and categorization of medical images of skin lesions. These experiments use continuous report match-to-sample and forced-choice discrimination tasks, with images presented in different orders, locations, and timing intervals to analyze sequential effects in perception and decision making. Each participant will spend 30 to 60 minutes undergoing psychophysical testing to assess serial dependence in their perceptual judgments. The study measures discrimination accuracy and signal detection metrics across trials. Observers will complete all conditions of the assigned experiment, with the goal of developing guidelines to mitigate negative serial effects and improve remote teledermatology accuracy. Participation involves no drug use and includes healthy adults with normal or corrected vision.

Isolating and Mitigating Sequentially Dependent Perceptual Errors in Clinical Visual Search