Consumer Acceptance and Expectations of a Mobile Health Application to Photograph Skin Lesions for Early Detection of Melanoma

Abstract

Background: Mobile teledermoscopy may facilitate skin self-examinations (SSEs) and further improve monitoring and detection of melanoma. Objective: To assess consumer acceptability and expectations of a mobile health app used to: (i) instruct SSE and (ii) conduct consumer-performed mobile teledermoscopy. Methods: People aged 18 years and above were invited to participate in either (i) an online survey or (ii) focus group in Brisbane, Australia. Participants were asked about their SSE practices, mobile teledermoscopy acceptance, and app design and functionality. The online survey responses and focus group discussions were coded by two researchers who conducted thematic analysis. Results: Four focus groups were held with a total of 28 participants; 88 participants completed the online survey. The mean ages of participants in the focus group and online survey were 46 and 38 years, respectively. There were more males in the focus groups (61%, 17/28) compared to the online survey (19%, 17/88). Regular SSEs were conducted by 56 (64%) of the online survey participants. Barriers to SSE were forgetfulness (44%), low self-perceived risk of melanoma (25%) and low confidence in conducting SSEs (25%). The large majority of online survey participants (95%) would consider sending photos of their skin lesions to a medical practitioner via an app. Focus group participants reported that they would accept using mobile teledermoscopy; however, they would prefer to use it to monitor lesions between face-to-face consultations. Conclusions: Overall, participants had positive views on using mobile teledermoscopy to send images of skin lesions to a dermatologist or other medical practitioner.