Every year, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) receives approximately 4,300 urgent suspected skin cancer referrals. As May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, WWL is pleased to announce that we have become the latest Trust in Greater Manchester to pilot DERM, a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) skin cancer pathway to reduce the waiting time for patients.
The new technology, DERM, by Skin Analytics, assesses and classifies images of skin lesions at Leigh Infirmary’s Dermatology department, following referral from the patient’s GP for suspected skin cancer. The AI medical device is trained to classify the most common malignant, pre-malignant and benign skin lesions and will enable dermatologists to free up capacity to concentrate on patients requiring specialist care for a variety of skin diseases including common conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and acne.
When it comes to finding, diagnosing and treating skin cancer in a timely manner, this new technology may support the accurate triage of patients to the right place at the right time. By using this innovative technology alongside the expertise of our clinical colleagues, dermatologists will have more time to review more cases in each clinical session, ultimately leading to quicker diagnosis and potentially helping to save lives.
As is the trend nationally, the WWL Dermatology Team receives ever-increasing numbers of urgent suspected skin cancer referrals, which results in the need for face-to-face appointments. By implementing AI as a medical device, the dermatology backlog can be addressed without the need of additional face-to-face clinics and will look to free up capacity for patients who need to be seen urgently, as well as more routine patients who often have debilitating skin conditions.
Patients who meet the AI criteria will attend an urgent appointment at the hospital to have their skin lesions photographed and this image will be assessed by DERM. Based on the outcome of the AI assessment, the case will be directed to the most appropriate level of care, of which there are two possible management outcomes:
● For patients with suspected benign lesions, DERM confirms ability to discharge. For the duration of the pilot, there will be a second read by a Skin Analytics Consultant Dermatologist before patients have their results communicated to them and are discharged by WWL with advice on how to continue to monitor their skin.
● For patients with suspected malignant or premalignant lesions, the case is immediately available for a WWL Dermatologist review and management plan.
Through this pathway, WWL aims to accelerate the diagnosis and management of skin cancer, whilst simultaneously significantly improving outcomes and patient experiences. As always, the best protection against skin cancer is to cover up and be safe in the sun. It is important to check your skin regularly and tell your GP if you notice any unexplained changes to your skin.