Polaroid Photographic Referral for Skin Cancer — A Potentially Useful Method of Reducing Time to Surgery

Abstract

A prospective trial was conducted on twenty-five patients referred by dermatologists during 1998 using a referral letter and an accompanying polaroid photograph for prospective plastic surgical management of skin cancers. Using the description and the photograph, suitable patients were given dates for operation without requiring a plastic surgery out-patient clinic appointment. This enabled, not only a saving in the cost of an out-patient appointment, but a significant reduction in waiting time to surgery.

The role of digital photography and electronic referral in the triage of patients with suspected skin cancer

“…Clinical photography has been shown to be useful in triaging and monitoring suspected skin cancers 6–9 . We have shown that digital photography is useful in downgrading otherwise urgent referrals, thus potentially improving waiting times for treatment of genuine skin cancers.…”