e-Health Tools for Targeting and Improving Melanoma Screening: A Review

Abstract

The key to improved prognosis for melanoma is early detection and diagnosis, achieved by skin surveillance and secondary prevention (screening). However, adherence to screening guidelines is low, with population-based estimates of approximately 26% for physician-based skin cancer screening and 20–25% for skin self-examination. The recent proliferation of melanoma detection “e-Health” tools, digital resources that facilitate screening in patients often outside of the clinical setting, may offer new strategies to promote adherence and expand the proportion and range of individuals performing skin self-examination. The purpose of this paper is to catalog and categorize melanoma screening e-Health tools to aid in the determination of their efficacy and potential for adoption. The availability and accessibility of such tools, their costs, target audience, and, where possible, information on their efficacy, will be discussed with potential benefits and limitations considered. While e-Health tools targeting melanoma screening are widely available, little has been done to formally evaluate their efficacy and ability to aid in overcoming screening barriers. Future research needs to formally evaluate the potential role of e-Health tools in melanoma prevention.

The acceptance of mobile teledermoscopy by primary care nurse practitioners in the state of Arizona

“…MTD is expensive, a German company, sells its least expensive dermoscopy attachment for an iPhone for about $673 USD (Fotofinder® Systems, 2015). However, the cost of this device is lower than comparable devices from other manufacturers (Tyagi, Miller & Cockburn, 2012).…”

The Impact of Patient, Physician and Tumor Factors on Awareness and Early Diagnosis of Cutaneous Melanoma

“…Utilizing non-physicians as screening authorities has also been suggested. For example, using hairdressers for skin cancer screening outreach has been proposed; however, the efficacy and logistics of this approach remains to be fully defined [24][25][26]. Use of smartphone applications, including patient-initiated screening tools along with teledermatology and teledermoscopy, have been studied; however, thus far the outcomes of these approaches have been quite variable [27][28][29].…”

Dilemmas of Oral Cancer Screening: An Update

“…Screening has been defined as a process of identifying apparently healthy people who may be at increased risk of a disease or condition. They can then be offered information, further tests and appropriate treatment to reduce their risk and/or any complications arising from the disease or condition (Epstein et al, 2008 interesting definition is early detection and diagnosis, achieved by surveillance and secondary prevention (Tyagi et al, 2012). Screening for oral cancer implies searching for oral potentially malignant and cancerous lesions, typically before symptoms occur.…”