MySkinSelfie shutdown information.
The MySkinSelfie project has been hosted by Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust for the last 3 years having previously been developed by Newcastle University. The Trust has chosen to close the project and to merge all skin image sharing projects with a different app that will also be used in other clinical areas. The expense of running software platforms means that one platform with multiple roles makes more managerial and financial sense.
Unfortunately the skin self monitoring function of MySkinSelfie will be lost. There are other apps that can provide this function which can be found on the app stores. We are not going to make any specific recommendations for what to switch over to.
All image data stored in MySkinSelfie is fully encrypted and can only be accessed via the app with your login details. Long term storage was never guaranteed under the T&C. If there are any images that you are keen to preserve then please screenshot them and store before deleting the app. All of the data in the MySkinSelfie servers will be disposed of according to NHS data rules.
History
MySkinSelfie began in 2016 as a collaboration between Newcastle University OpenLab ( School of Computing science) and Dr Philip Hampton ( NHS Newcastle Dermatology, Royal VIctoria Infirmary, Newcastle). With the explosion in the ownership of smart phones with good cameras we decided to build an app that would help patients to self-monitor.
Teledermatology is the subspecialty of Dermatology whereby diagnosis and patient management is performed by examining images and data without the patient being physically present during the consultation. There are numerous apps that can help patients to track skin lesions. Most of them are commercially developed and are aimed at mole monitoring. Sadly, many of the apps make claims about diagnostic ability which are not true and are therefore dangerous. This problem was recently reviewed in the British Journal of Dermatology. Other apps have been developed to allow Doctors to monitor patient's skin lesions. Whilst these have their uses many GPs and Dermatologists are too busy to incorporate lesion monitoring into already busy clinic visits.
The aim of MySkinSelfie has therefore been to promote patient-led teledermatology. We want patients to be empowered to monitor their own images and to monitor their own skin health. With the MySkinSelfie sharing function and the skinselfieportal patients can then share access to a folder of images with a Doctor or friend etc. The owner of the images controls access to the images at all times.
Funding.
MySkinSelfie was initially funded under an academic scientific programme grant called Digital Civics held by Prof Patrick Olivier , Open Lab, Computing Science , Newcastle University. The grant was awarded by the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council). The grant focussed on numerous workstreams united by the aim of increasing innovative digital working in society including healthcare. Many project students contributed to the design and early usability testing. Mr Dan Richardson, Phd Student, did the coding for the app.
The project has now moved on to be an innovation project based at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust. We have had funding contributions from various sources including Pharma as unrestricted grants.
MySkinSelfie did initially have an app download fee. Since it was fully taken over by Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust it is now free and offered as a service for skin self monitoring. MySkinSelfie has chosen to have no adverts and has no access to your encrypted data.