What's New In Digital Health

Surveys demonstrate that over 254 million North Americans own or have access to a smartphone in 2018.¹ Due to this rising trend in technology, companies are continuously developing a wide variety of tools designed to support patients in all aspects of their health, such as blood pressure, exercise, glucose levels, and the detection of different types of skin cancer. CBC's medical columnist Dr. Peter Lin recently recognized MoleScope as being one of these valuable tools in digital healthcare.

MoleScope is a digital dermoscope designed to attach to a smartphone/tablet to capture high resolution images of the skin. Coming in two models (MoleScope & MoleScope II), the original MoleScope is an affordable, portable, and accessible solution to support patients in the ongoing management of their skin health.  The free paired app allows patients to organize and track their spots on a user-friendly 3D-Body Map, be educated and guided through ABCDE and monthly skin examinations, and even send images to their local dermatologist for feedback (if this feature is available in their region).

Dr. Lin explaining how advanced technologies like MoleScope can benefit patients' health

Studies demonstrate that up to 70% of skin cancer cases are first noticed by the patient or their loved ones. Due to the fact that optimal survival rates are intrinsically connected to early detection times, it is necessary to empower patients with advanced dermoscopy tools to educate, engage, and support them on their skin health journey.

Research shows that Canada is facing a shortage of dermatologists, especially in remote areas.² By having patients use a mobile dermoscope such as MoleScope, dermatologists remain connected with their patients, receive medical-grade quality images, digitize their patient information, and are able to provide streamlined consultations in seconds while eliminating unnecessary in-clinic visits. This provides dermatologists with an innovative solution for providing high quality care and remaining connected with their patients (regardless of location).

In addition to offering dermatoscopy tools for patient empowerment, MoleScope is designed to work seamlessly with an intelligent dermatology platform known as DermEngine. This smart dermatology EMR software equips physicians with the latest tools in general dermatology designed to revolutionize their practice. Features such as teledermatology, total body photography, clinic analytics, and clinical decision support tools powered by artificial intelligence (AI) ensure that every aspect of their practice is seamlessly integrated into a convenient, centralized location.

Although MoleScope (mobile dermatoscope) and DermEngine are only one piece of the broad spectrum of digital health technologies, the goal remains the same: to keep physicians connected with their patients and encourage engagement/early detection while equipping physicians with the latest in intelligent tools for advancing their practice and optimizing healthcare outcomes. 

-The MetaOptima Team

1. https://www.statista.com
2. https://www.ctvnews.ca