Skin is often seen as the window into someone’s overall health. There are potentially life-threatening infectious diseases that can present with skin changes that look very different depending on the skin’s pigmentation. That is why it is imperative to not only train to these differences but also be equipped with technology to best understand these variations and provide the equitable care and the best care possible. 

Recognizing how rashes present on darker skin types and training clinicians to reduce their own biases by is key to reducing diagnostic error, yet professional resources often do not meet the diagnostic needs of people with deeply pigmented skin. This can lead to worse health outcomes for the BIPOC patient population. Take melanoma, for example: Black patients are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with later stage melanomas than their white counterparts, and this makes them harder to treat.[i]