Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 9-2015
Abstract
Primary care physicians occupy a vital position to impact many devastating conditions, especially those dependent upon early diagnosis, such as skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and despite improvements in skin cancer therapy, patients with a delay in diagnosis and advanced disease continue to have a grave prognosis. Due to a variety of barriers, advanced stages of skin cancer are more prominent in rural populations. In order to improve early diagnosis four things are paramount: increased patient participation in prevention methods, establishment of screening guidelines, increased diagnostic accuracy of malignant lesions, and easier access to dermatologists. Recent expansion in smartphone mobile application technology offers simple ways for rural practitioners to address these problems. More than 100,000 health related applications are currently available, with over 200 covering dermatology. This review will evaluate the newest and most useful of those applications offered to enhance the prevention and early diagnosis of skin cancer, particularly in the rural population.
Recommended Citation
Cook SE, Palmer LC, Shuler FD. Smartphone mobile applications to enhance diagnosis of skin cancer: a guide for the rural practitioner. West Virginia Medical Journal. 2015 Sep/Oct;111(5):22-9.
Included in
Medical Education Commons, Medical Humanities Commons, Oncology Commons, Telemedicine Commons
Comments
The copy of record is available from the publisher at http://www.wvsma.org/Journal/PastEditionsoftheJournal.aspx. Copyright © 2015 West Virginia State Medical Association. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.