Our Story
The idea
The idea for the telemedicine platform Dermicus originally came from within healthcare. A group of experienced dermatology specialists recognized early on that specific care processes could be significantly streamlined with the help of digital platforms, benefiting patients, healthcare professionals, and providers alike. The idea became a reality, and after a few years, Gnosco was created. Early on, Gnosco chose to focus on the processes between primary care and specialist care, aiming to improve the management of skin cancer patients. To make this possible, Dermicus (formerly Gnosco) has also prioritized education and implementation support, which remains an important part of Dermicus’ offering.
Our Story
The beginning
Dermicus teledermatology platform was founded in 2010 by MD, PhD Johan Heilborn. Dr Heilborn identified from his work as Head of Dermatology at the Karolinska Hospital, Sweden, that he could improve patient care and increase efficiency by using emerging mobile applications and platform to improve the quality and speed of skin cancer diagnosis. Dr Heilborn also recognised that if such a solution was implemented, with strong training and with continuous learning from the start, clinicians would adopt the new technology. This commitment to easy implementation, training and continuous education remains at the heart of the Dermicus solution today.
Designed with clinicians
The Dermicus platform, mobile application and education program have been developed in close collaboration with Specialists in Dermatology and General Practitioners. Over the years the product development has been advised by legal and technical resources. During 2012 the first beta-version was launched and implemented with Karolinska University Hospital and Primary Care centers in Stockholm, Sweden.
Product launch
In 2014, Dermicus platform and mobile application were CE-certified as a Class I (MDD) medical device. During the pilot phase, clinical studies had been performed to prove the effectiveness of increasing patient care quality. As a result of the successful pilot and clinical studies, the company Gnosco AB was formed, with serial entrepreneur Daniel Eliasson joining as co-owner and CEO. The focus of Gnosco was to roll-out Dermicus to healthcare providers and to continue the development to improve patient care quality and support transformational change.
Growth & new markets
The Gnosco team continue to evolve the Dermicus platform and related services with Swedish healthcare customers and clinical users. As of December 2018, the Dermicus platform has delivered more than 15,000 consultations, maintaining more than 60,000 images. Gnosco began expansion into other healthcare markets, with projects in UK.
Large procurement processes
The global effect of Covid-19 increases the pressure on driving efficiency in teledermatology with scale. In Sweden, Gnosco wins Region Skåne and Region Stockholm teledermatology tenders for early diagnosis of skin cancer, for 3.3m patients supported by 390 primary care centres. In the NHS, Dermicus is implemented in all the GP practices of the Isle of Wight NHS Trust for the 144,000 patients, reducing cancer waiting times from 26 days to 0.6 days. Dermicus is shortlisted for the HSJ Awards - Primary Care Innovation of the Year Awards.
Large scale implementation and compliance.
The roll-out of Dermicus in Sweden continues with scale, including the online onboarding of new users across the Regions. In the NHS, the Dermicus Teledermatology platform passes the NHSX DTAC assessment and Gnosco achieves ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management certification.
Vinnova Project and Accelerated expansion
Vinnova grants 2.4 million SEK for an AI project focused on skin cancer diagnostics. Implementation across all 250 healthcare centers in Region Stockholm is completed. The rollout in Region Skåne is also finalized during 2022.
First Procurement of Dermicus for Hard-to-Heal Wounds
Region Stockholm’s widespread implementation of teledermatoscopy is showcased at the EU Cancer Conference in Stockholm. The project “Telemedicine Wounds,” involving Dermicus, receives funding from Region Stockholm’s Innovation Fund. Region Blekinge, in collaboration with municipalities, procures Dermicus for the efficient management of hard-to-heal wounds. Certification according to ISO 13485 is achieved in the summer, and on October 20, Gnosco changes its name to Dermicus AB.
New international customers
Dermicus gains new customers in the new product areas of Wounds and Research Platform. New customers include Jönköping Municipality, Monash University in Australia, and Hanusch Hospital in Vienna. All this i possible since Dermicus comes with 6 different languages. The first major study for Dermicus’ proprietary AI algorithm for skin cancer is conducted in collaboration with Region Skåne and Karolinska in Stockholm. Dermicus is once again certified in ISO 27001.
Join us
We are growing and looking for talented people who want to contribute to better healthcare and better outcomes. If you take initiatives and like to work in dynamic and growing companies, please apply.