Impact of Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy on Dermatologists' Number Needed to Biopsy Metric and Biopsy Decisions for Pigmented Skin Lesions

The study evaluated the impact of integrating electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) into dermatologists' biopsy decisions for pigmented skin lesions (PSLs). Involving 267 dermatologists and 11,481 biopsy decisions, the study found that EIS significantly improved the number needed to biopsy (NNB) from 6.3 to 5.3, sensitivity from 84% to 98%, and specificity from 34% to 44%. EIS helped correctly select 581 additional melanomas for biopsy and avoid 782 unnecessary biopsies. The greatest impact was observed in clinically challenging cases, suggesting that EIS could enhance biopsy efficiency and accuracy, particularly as healthcare costs and melanoma incidence rise. However, the study's limitation was that decisions were based on clinical images rather than in vivo examinations.