Efficacy of using mobile teledermoscopy to conduct skin self-examinations in high risk melanoma adults

Comparing the use of mobile teledermoscopy to conduct skin self-examination versus usual naked-eye skin self-examination in high risk melanoma adults: a randomised trial

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ANZCTR

Registry ID

ACTRN12616000989448

Acronym

SKin INnovation (SKIN) Project

Enrollment

234

Registered

2016-07-27

Start date

2017-03-06

Completion date

2018-06-07

Last updated

2020-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

The purpose of this project is test whether mobile dermatoscopes can help assist consumers conduct home skin examinations to detect potentially cancerous skin spots or moles. Who is it for? You may be eligible to participate in this trial if you are aged 18 or over, are considered high risk for skin cancer, own an iPhone 5 or above and have a partner/relative/friend willing to assist you with skin examinations. Study details: Participants will be randomly allocated (by chance) to either the usual care naked-eye skin self-examination group or the intervention teledermoscopy group. The teledermoscopy group will receive a magnifying device which attaches to their smartphone to assist with skin self-examinations. All participants will be asked to complete two questionnaires (baseline and 2-month), conduct three skin examinations at home (baseline, 1-month and 2-month) and have a whole-body clinical skin examination with one of our study dermatologists at a study clinic after the 2-month skin self-examination. Intervention group will be asked to use a mobile dermatoscope to conduct their home skin examinations. It is hoped that this trial will provide information on whether mobile teledermoscopy may be accurate and cost-effective for assisting high risk individuals with skin self-examinations.

Interventions

The intervention group will be loaned a mobile dermatoscope to conduct their skin self-examination. This is a magnifying device that attaches to a mobile phone with polarised light to aid skin examinations, which can store and send photos of skin moles to a dermatologist via an app. Participants will be provided with an information booklet and video on how to set up the mobile dermatoscope and use the associated mobile application, known as "Handyscope." Participants will be conducting three skin self-examinations using mobile dermoscopy: at baseline, 1-month and 2-month timepoints. Participants will be asked to send photos of any skin lesions they believe are suspicious to the consultant dermatologist via the Handyscope application. Participants will be reminded to conduct their skin self-examinations via SMS or email.

Study design

Allocation

Randomised controlled trial

Intervention model

Parallel

Primary purpose

Diagnosis

Masking

Open (masking not used)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

- 18 years or older - Participants with high risk of skin cancer (at least 2 of the following risk factors: high risk phenotype, family history of melanoma, personal history of non-melanoma skin cancer, history of skin excisions or many skin lesions) - Own an iPhone 5 or above - Have a partner, relative or friend available to assist with skin examinations

Exclusion criteria

- People who have been diagnosed with a melanoma within the last 5 years

Outcome results