Smartphone app Skinive helps prevent skin cancer, yet experts are critical
innovationorigins.com
Dec. 12, 2022, 1:05 p.m.
The dermatologist tested out the app for this article. She Is critical about it: “I noticed a bunch of limitations. For example, it does not take into account a patient’s story, something that is really important in order to make a good assessment of a skin patch.” She also raises questions about the use of phone cameras: “If you upload a blurry photo, you don’t get any kind of notification that the photo is too blurry. That’s crazy, because you can’t get proper advice that way, can you?” Several studies, including a study published in the Netherlands Journal of Medicine, show that similar apps have a low positive predictive values. The study found that a large proportion of app users receive false warnings about possible skin cancer and are quickly advised to seek medical attention.