Equitable dermatology starts with being heard: Dr Chiedu Ufodiama’s Topol journey

For Dr Chiedu Ufodiama, dermatology is personal. Skin, hair and nail conditions shape confidence, culture and daily life. Yet, the systems around their management have not always seen or described everyone equally.

As a Topol Digital Fellow, Chiedu is building a patient-led digital tool that connects the words people use about their skin with representative images and clinical knowledge. The aim is simple and ambitious at once. Reduce health inequalities in dermatology by making triage and support fairer, clearer and easier to access in the community and neighbourhood services, before even seeing a specialist.

It recognises that people with darker skin and diverse backgrounds often struggle to access the same quality of care, representation, and resources as those with lighter skin.

Seeing what is missing

The idea came from years of clinical work and research across London and Manchester. Chiedu saw how generic pathways, and limited resources, can flatten important differences. Ancestry, lived experience, culture, and language shape how conditions present and how people talk about them. If your words are not reflected and the images do not look like you, trust erodes and engagement drops. His project explores the patients’ voice alongside images and clinical context, then uses this combined view to support faster, fairer decisions about what to do next.

Early feedback surfaced a critical refinement. Calling the tool “diagnostic” generated confusion. Reframing it as decision support and triage provided clarity and placed it where it belongs; alongside history and examination, helping clinicians and patients plan next steps together. The change in wording improved understanding for clinicians and the public and sharpened the delivery focus.

Bringing people with you

If there is a thread throughout Chiedu’s work, it is the discipline of bringing people along. That starts with Patient and Public Involvement (PPI). PPI groups have returned repeatedly, not only to comment but to shape the tone, terminology and priorities of the project.

Members report feeling seen and heard. Their feedback has already influenced choices about language, image sets and the balance between digital and in-person routes. One small example tells the larger story. When PPI participants said presentation matters, he listened and adapted. It is a project value as much as a project method.

Colleagues and supervisors reinforced a practical habit. “Chunk and change.” Show one step, evidence it, then show the next. Big visions are easier to follow when progress arrives in clear, testable pieces. It keeps busy stakeholders close and reduces the risk of losing support through overload.

From empathy to method

Chiedu describes the Topol Digital Fellowship as the point where empathy met structure. He already cared about equitable care. Topol turned that intent into delivery practice. Agile workshops from Topol learning partner TPXimpact encouraged working in small cycles, testing early and adjusting course.

Their stakeholder sessions reframed “gathering input” as active listening and reflection. The storytelling elements of the programme helped him frame the work so people could see where the tool fits in their journey.

The Fellowship also added credibility. Being a Topol Fellow makes it easier to convene partners, secure time with technical teams and keep a diverse group aligned on purpose. It has helped move the project from idea to plan, and from plan to build.

Designing for equity from the start

Health inequalities in dermatology are well documented. Too many datasets, descriptors and image libraries are predominantly built with lighter skin tones and narrower experiences. The project tackles this head on.

Chiedu is establishing international collaborations to ensure the dataset reflects the broadest range of tones, presentations and descriptors. Links through the Global Atopic Dermatitis Atlas (GADA), the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) and partner centres across the Americas and Africa will support this.

The intent is prospective rather than retrospective. Involving diverse stakeholders at the beginning, from consent to labelling to interface choices, guarantees inclusion is designed in rather than bolted on later.

The experience will be kept accessible. Plain language and clear pathways will support confidence for patients and clarity for clinicians. The tool will complement face-to-face care, not replace it.

Impact you can feel now

The most immediate impact is relational. PPI members describe greater confidence that the service is listening and adjusting based on what matters to them. Clinicians report that the shift from “diagnosis” to “decision support” makes the purpose and limits of the tool clearer, which builds trust. This is the patient voice in action. It is already changing how the work is framed and how the next decisions are taken.

What good looks like and what’s next

The next phase is focused. Build the first working prototype with machine learning teams at the University of Manchester. Continue testing with patients and clinicians. Grow the international data partnerships so the tool learns from a wider set of experiences. Success will be measured in simple, practical ways. Quicker, clearer triage. People recognise their own words and images. More consistent outcomes for those who have been underserved.

Advice to an earlier self

Chiedu is clear on the lesson he would give his past self. Set checkpoints. Ambition gets you moving. Milestones keep you honest. They help you show progress, reflect and keep your head in the clouds while your feet stay on the floor. As we said the thread is bringing people along… even himself.

The change that endures

For Chiedu, equitable dermatology is not a slogan. It is a way of working. Bring people with you. Let patients see themselves in the service. Use evidence and empathy together. The Topol Digital Fellowship has given him the space and structure to do that at pace, turning a promising idea into a tool designed to see more people and serve them better.

Are you working in or interested in funding equitable healthcare solutions? I’d be interested to talk - please reach out: [email protected]

“Equity in dermatology comes from empowering the patient’s voice.”