AskMed
AskMed is our pick for dermatology questions. It answers from journals, guidelines and clinical references, links every claim to its source, and works for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, students and researchers worldwide.
| Answers from | Journals, clinical guidelines, drug labels and clinical references |
|---|---|
| Citations | A link after every claim; 8 sources per answer by default, 3–12 if you change it |
| Sources for skin | PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the JAMA Network, NICE, StatPearls, BMJ Best Practice, the MSD Manual |
| No source found | Says so, never answers from memory |
| Photos | Not analysed; an attached image is read for its text only |
| Doses | Never |
| Built for | Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, students, researchers |
| Where | Worldwide, no US license or NPI needed |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Android, web |
Which AI tools answer dermatology questions?
This guide compares six tools for dermatology questions, and each one does a different job. AskMed is an AI medical reference that answers questions about acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes and cosmetic procedures from journals, guidelines and clinical references, with a link after every claim, for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, students and researchers in any country. OpenEvidence is a clinical AI search engine for verified healthcare professionals, and its App Store listing says an NPI is required. DermGPT is an AI language model focused on dermatology, founded by a board-certified dermatologist. VisualDx is a visual clinical decision support system built around more than 50,000 clinical images. DermNet is a dermatology reference website with more than 2,500 skin topics, not an AI chatbot. ChatGPT is OpenAI's general AI chatbot and is not limited to medical sources. AI scribes that write clinic notes are a different category and are left out. The table compares what each tool is, where its content comes from and who can use it.
| Tool | Type | Content from | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| AskMed | AI medical reference | Journals, guidelines, drug labels and references, with a link after every claim | Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, students and researchers, worldwide; no NPI |
| OpenEvidence | Clinical AI search | Peer-reviewed literature; partners include NEJM, JAMA and its 11 specialty journals, and the Cochrane Library | Verified healthcare professionals; NPI required, per its App Store listing |
| DermGPT | Dermatology AI model | 60,000 peer-reviewed dermatology articles, per its website | Not stated |
| VisualDx | Visual decision support | 50,000+ clinical images; condition pages written and maintained by clinicians | Licensed to health systems, practices and individual clinicians |
| DermNet | Dermatology reference website | 2,500+ skin topics and 25,000 clinical images, reviewed by dermatologists | Public website; DermNet PRO for healthcare professionals |
| ChatGPT | General AI chatbot | Not limited to medical sources | Anyone |
OpenEvidence
OpenEvidence describes itself as a clinical decision support platform and medical search engine for healthcare professionals. Its App Store listing names NEJM, JAMA and its 11 specialty journals, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Nature, the Cochrane Library and Wiley as official partners, lists content agreements with medical societies, marks an NPI as required and says the app contains advertising. Its Terms of Use say the service is not available in the United Kingdom, the European Union or the European Economic Area, so clinicians there need another tool. AskMed vs OpenEvidence compares the two in detail.
DermGPT
DermGPT is an AI language model focused on dermatology, founded by Dr. Fara Kamangar, a board-certified dermatologist in Palo Alto. Its website lists access to 60,000 peer-reviewed dermatology articles and a Prior Authorization Suite that drafts documentation for payer requirements, and it offers a web app and an iOS app. DermGPT's terms say it is not a HIPAA-covered entity and that protected health information must not be submitted. Its website does not state who can sign up or how answers are cited.
VisualDx
VisualDx is a visual clinical decision support system with more than 50,000 clinical images across skin tones and body sites. Its differential diagnosis builder ranks possible diagnoses from the findings and patient context you enter, and its condition pages are written and maintained by clinicians. VisualDx's website also mentions AI-driven image analysis and CME with every use. It is licensed to hospitals, health systems, practices and individual clinicians.
DermNet
DermNet is a dermatology reference website with more than 2,500 skin topics and 25,000 clinical images, reviewed by dermatologists, plus a student resource centre and DermNet PRO for healthcare professionals. DermNet is a place to read and compare images rather than an AI chatbot, and a useful place to check what an AI answer says about a condition.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is OpenAI's general AI chatbot, on the web, iPhone and Android. It is useful for explaining a mechanism or drafting a patient leaflet, but it is not limited to medical sources, so check any clinical claim against a guideline or reference first. Is ChatGPT accurate for medical questions? covers what studies found.
How should you ask an AI a skin question?
The way to get a useful AI answer about a skin problem is to describe the lesion in words, because the description is what narrows the differential. Name the primary lesion (macule, papule, plaque, vesicle, pustule or nodule), its colour and scale, its shape and configuration, such as annular or linear, where it is on the body, how long it has been there, whether it itches or hurts, and any systemic features such as fever. Add the patient context that changes the answer: age, pregnancy, immune status, new medicines and your country, since guidelines and drug approvals differ. AskMed does not look at photos. An image you attach is read for its printed text only, so a photo of a rash gives AskMed nothing to work with, while a photo of a referral letter or lab report does. Ask one clear question at a time, then use follow-ups such as "and in a child?" to narrow it down.
- Describe the lesion. Primary lesion, colour, scale and configuration, for example "annular scaly plaque with central clearing".
- Say where and how long. Distribution, duration, itch or pain, and systemic features such as fever.
- Add the patient. Age, pregnancy, immune status, new medicines and your country.
- Ask one question. "Differential with the can't-miss causes first", or "first-line options by severity".
- Open the citation. Check the sentence you will act on against its source and the guideline's year.
A rash differential with sources walks through one example, and attachments explains what AskMed reads from a PDF or image.
Can AI answer questions about acne, eczema and psoriasis?
AI can answer most questions about acne, eczema and psoriasis well when it works from current guidelines and reviews, because these conditions have published guidance on assessment and treatment. AskMed searches NICE, the Cochrane Library, PubMed and journals such as those on the JAMA Network, which publishes JAMA Dermatology, along with StatPearls, BMJ Best Practice and the MSD Manual for professionals. NICE has guidelines on acne vulgaris management, psoriasis assessment and management and atopic eczema in under 12s. For management questions, AskMed adds "latest guideline update" to its search, ranks guidelines first, gives the year of each recommendation and says what changed when guidance has been updated. It names first-line and alternative options and how they are chosen by severity, monitoring and side effects, but it never gives doses or schedules. A pharmacist asking about a topical retinoid in pregnancy or a nurse asking about emollient use gets the reasoning with a source for each point.
- Acne. Severity grading, first-line topical and oral options, when to refer, and the safety rules around isotretinoin, each linked to its source.
- Eczema. Triggers, emollients, topical treatment by severity and signs of infection, with the guideline that applies in your country.
- Psoriasis. Severity measures such as PASI and DLQI, screening for psoriatic arthritis, and when systemic or biologic therapy is considered.
- Rashes. A differential with the features that separate each cause and the first test, such as skin scrapings or a biopsy.
Can AI help with cosmetic procedure questions?
AI can help with cosmetic procedure questions about evidence, safety and complications, such as how hyaluronic acid fillers, botulinum toxin, chemical peels and lasers work, what the trials show, and which complications to recognise early. AskMed answers these from journals, reviews and drug labels, with a link after every claim, so a clinician can check a statement about vascular occlusion after filler, or about the boxed warning on a botulinum toxin label, against its source. The same rules apply as for any other medicine: AskMed never states doses, and botulinum toxin units count as doses, so an answer explains how the amount is chosen in general terms and leaves the numbers to the product label and the treating clinician. AskMed does not assess a patient's photos before or after a procedure. If the evidence on a newer technique is thin, the answer says so rather than filling the gap with weak sources, and Research Mode can read up to 20 papers on one question.
- Complications. Recognition and management principles for filler and toxin complications, with the reviews behind them.
- Evidence. What trials and systematic reviews show for a procedure, and how strong that evidence is.
- Labels. FDA and DailyMed labels for approved products, without amounts or schedules.
What are the limits of AI for dermatology?
The main limit of AI for dermatology is that diagnosis in skin depends on seeing the lesion, and a text answer can only work from the description it is given. AskMed reads words, not pictures, so it cannot tell you what a lesion is from a photo, and it is not a symptom checker for patients. Every AskMed answer is written by an AI language model from the sources its search found, and no person reviews it before you see it, so open the citation behind any sentence you act on and check that it is about the same group of patients. Sources can disagree and guidance differs between countries, so look for the source that covers the patient in front of you and the country where you practise. Keep names and other identifying details out of any AI tool unless you are allowed to share them, and take doses only from the current label or your local formulary.
- Check the source. Every AskMed claim has its own link, so you check one sentence against one page.
- Refer when it matters. A changing pigmented lesion or a rash with systemic illness needs examination, not a chat.
- Report what looks wrong. Tap the thumbs down under an AskMed answer and pick a reason, such as Inaccurate or Sources don't match.
How AskMed answers lists every source and limit, and best AI apps for doctors compares tools for clinical questions in general.
Questions
What is the best AI for dermatology questions?
AskMed is the best AI for dermatology questions when you need an answer you can check. AskMed searches a fixed list of medical sources, including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the JAMA Network, NICE, StatPearls, BMJ Best Practice and the MSD Manual, then writes an answer with a link after every claim. If it finds no usable source, it says so instead of answering from memory. It covers acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes and cosmetic procedures, gives the year of each guideline recommendation, and never gives doses. AskMed is built for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, students and researchers, works worldwide without an NPI, and runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and the web. Other tools do other jobs: OpenEvidence serves verified US healthcare professionals, DermGPT focuses on dermatology workflows, VisualDx is built around clinical images, and DermNet is a reference website. AskMed does not analyse photos, so describe the lesion in words.
Can AskMed diagnose a rash from a photo?
No. AskMed reads attached images for their printed text only, so it cannot interpret a photo of the skin. Describe the lesion, its distribution and the history in words, and AskMed gives a cited differential and the first test for each cause.
Is AskMed only for dermatologists?
No. AskMed is built for doctors in any specialty, including GPs, and for nurses, pharmacists, medical students and researchers. It needs no medical license or NPI.
Does AskMed answer questions about Botox and fillers?
Yes, about how they work, the evidence, safety and complications, with a source for each claim. AskMed never gives doses, and that includes botulinum toxin units.
Which dermatology guidelines does AskMed use?
AskMed searches NICE, WHO and other guideline bodies, plus journals, the Cochrane Library and clinical references such as StatPearls and BMJ Best Practice. Each guideline recommendation comes with its year.
Which devices does AskMed work on?
iPhone, iPad, Android and the web. One account works on all of them, and the app comes in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese and Arabic.