Technology

At Spot Check Clinic, we aim to use diagnostic, communication and treatment technologies to enhance diagnosis, treatment and the patient experience.

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The technology we use is evidence-based and provides proven benefits. We carefully evaluate technologies for the diagnosis and management of skin cancers and skin health and use those which are effective and provide value for money. We do not invest in or recommend expensive technologies that provide minimal benefit.

Technology empowers our patients

We use new technology to photograph, analyse and look for changes in your spots. This allows for early detection of skin cancers that might otherwise be missed, and reduces the number of unnecessary biopsy procedures.

We take advantage of mobile devices and cloud-based storage, a flexible solution which enables us to view and add to your records from any location. Photographs can be taken during your skin examination by your examining doctor.

• During your consultation, an artificial intelligence algorithm — as accurate as a dermatologist in many cases (Esteva 2019)— compares your spot with other images to propose a likely diagnosis. Your doctor can use this system to explain why your spot of concern is likely or unlikely to be a skin cancer.
• Another algorithm compares mole mapping images taken of body regions with images of the same regions taken previously. Spots which appear to be new or changing are automatically highlighted, alerting your doctor to changes which might indicate skin cancer
• Your doctor can label images with their likely diagnoses, information about the condition and its potential treatment
• After your consultation, you have ongoing access to any photos we've taken, including close-up dermoscopic photos and body mapping photos. You also have access to pathology results and personalised information about your spots, cancers and treatments
• Using the MoleScope app, you can take your own photos. MoleScope uploads them into the record you share with Spot Check Clinic, filing them by body location and date, so you have an ongoing record of your skin and any spots of interest
• You can also upload photos taken previously, allowing you to compare images of your spots taken in skin checks you've had in earlier years
• If you have a spot of concern and it's inconvenient for you to visit Spot Check Clinic, you can use the MoleScope app to photograph it and send it directly to our doctor for an opinion. In most cases, we provide an opinion within 2 working days at a fee significantly less than if you'd visited in person.
• If we've performed a biopsy, your results will be available in writing together with a written explanation from our doctor. All results are stored on a secure encrypted environment on the server. When a new result is ready, we'll send you a text message and a link to your result.

Technology enables better treatment outcomes

We offer a range of technology-based procedures for skin cancer, wound healing and to enhance skin health.

• Radiofrequency ablation of skin lesions leads to less scarring than any other method of removing a raised skin lesion (Chan 2020)
• Photodynamic therapy is an effective way of treating sun damage and skin cancers with a high success rate and excellent cosmetic outcomes (DermNet NZ 2007)
• Low level light therapy accelerates wound healing after procedures (Min 2013), and contributes to greater patient satisfaction with the cosmetic outcome of procedures (Calderhead 2015)
• Broadband light therapy significantly improves the appearance of ageing skin and induces changes in genes to make cells function more like younger tissue (Bitter 2013, Chang 2013)

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Please feel free to contact us if you would like to learn more about the technologies we use.

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