Dermicus speeds up skin cancer diagnosis

23 February 2022

A final independent evaluation report published i February 2022 by Wessex AHSN of the Dermicus platform implemented on the Isle of Wight (IOW), states that teledermatology can dramatically improve the speed of diagnosis for skin cancer.

In the UK, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust was first to implement the Dermicus teledermatology platform for early diagnosis of skin cancer. Since May 2020 all the 12 GP practices on the island is using the platform. Deployment of Dermicus at the Isle of Wight started in June 2019, and The Wessex AHSN was asked to conduct a real-world evaluation of the implementation of Dermicus primary care in the Island – particularly its impact on patient and clinician experience, any efficiencies generated, impacts on clinicians’ medical education related to skin cancer and the scope of its use.

This final report shows that Dermicus has reduced waiting times from 26 to 0.6 days, and if the expected 600 dermatology referrals were to be accessed through the platform, there would be annual savings of between £14,000 and £23,000. In addition to this it showed that the patients had an increased accessibility and got equal treatment.

Read the full report here: The Dermicus Teledermatology Platform, Isle of Wight Primary Care, Final Evaluation Report, Wessex Academic Health Science Network (WAHSN), February 2022