The NHS is set to roll out a new camera lens that can be attached to your smartphone to take detailed pictures of moles, spots or other skin problems
Key Highlights :
The lens, which is the size of a 50p coin, can be attached to your smartphone and is able to take detailed pictures of moles, spots or other skin problems you are concerned about. It’s thought the move will mean dermatologists will be able to double the number of patients they can assess in a day as people can take the pictures from home.
NHS officials said the new “teledermatology” service is to be rolled out across all areas of England by July. The technology is currently used by about 15% of NHS trusts in England and will also be used in NHS community diagnostic centres and some GP surgeries.
The move comes as around 600,000 people were referred for skin checks last year – 9% higher than the previous year. Meanwhile, 56,000 skin cancer patients received treatment throughout 2022. NHS England said the use of the technology could enable GPs in rural areas help their patients be reviewed faster, potentially without having to travel for a specialist appointment.
Dr Tom While, a GP from Somerset, said: “Being able to get a swift and specialist opinion on a skin lesion or rash, and advice on treatment or local surgical options, often negates the need to refer the patient on to another hospital to see the specialist in person. This not only reduces waiting lists, but strongly benefits my patients who live in rural areas, saving them from long unnecessary journeys.”
The NHS is also trialling artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assess the presence of skin cancer. It is currently being used alongside the assessment of doctors to assess whether the technology, called Deep Ensemble for the Recognition of Malignancy (Derm), comes to the same conclusions. Derm uses AI algorithms to analyse specialist magnified images of skin lesions to determine whether the patient has cancer.
During an earlier testing phase, the device was shown to have helped avoid about 10,000 unneeded face-to-face appointments, NHS officials said. NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “There is no denying that increased demand has placed huge pressure on services, but championing the use of digital technology and new ways of working is key to reducing waits and is exactly why we are accelerating the use of teledermatology – it is a small piece of kit that has the potential to speed up diagnosis and treatment for tens of thousands with skin cancer.”
The NHS have also advised that it is vital to try to avoid getting sunburn as this can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. If you've been caught out, there are things you can do to ease the painful symptoms of sunburn.
The new camera lens could make a huge difference to the way skin cancer is diagnosed and treated. It could help to reduce waiting times and make it easier for those living in rural areas to get access to specialist help. The use of AI technology to assess skin lesions could also help to provide faster diagnosis for skin cancer patients, potentially saving thousands of lives.
Title:
New Camera Lens Attached to Smartphone Could Help Speed Up Diagnosis of Skin Cancer
