Abstract
BackgroundmHealth, which encompasses mobile health technologies and interventions, is rapidly evolving in various medical specialties, and its impact is evident in oncology. In particular, mHealth has established itself as a prominent part of dermatology for cancer screening. Intensified research to seek its use and effectiveness in each phase of the skin cancer continuum is needed in this fast-growing field of teledermatology.ObjectiveThe purpose of this review was to describe current trends in research addressing the integration of mHealth and its contributions across the skin cancer continuum.MethodsA systematic review framework was applied to the search using three electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase. We extensively reviewed appropriate studies regarding skin cancer and mobile technology published between 2007 and 2017. Studies of the role and impact of mobile technology in the prevention and management of skin cancer were included. We selected 18 studies adhering to the inclusion and exclusion criteria for analysis.ResultsOf the 18 studies, 5 (28%) evaluated prevention interventions, 6 (33%) assessed diagnostic accuracy, and 7 (39%) pertained to feasibility in the context of mHealth approaches for skin cancer care. These studies portray the potential of mobile teledermatology in the prevention and management of skin cancer. However, not all phases of skin cancer involve mHealth, and not all have been addressed by research.ConclusionsThis review extends our knowledge not only on the contributions of mHealth technologies, but also on their integration in different phases of skin cancer care. To optimize the effectiveness of mHealth in dermatology, larger numbers of robust, evidence-based studies on teledermatology implementations, distributed evenly across the care continuum, should be conducted so that research can be expanded to systematic reviews.
Highlights
As mHealth, which includes mobile health technologies and interventions, has become more common in various medical fields, the concept has begun to receive more attention in cancer care [1]
Of the 18 studies, 5 (28%) evaluated prevention interventions, 6 (33%) assessed diagnostic accuracy, and 7 (39%) pertained to feasibility in the context of mHealth approaches for skin cancer care
These studies portray the potential of mobile teledermatology in the prevention and management of skin cancer
Summary
As mHealth, which includes mobile health technologies and interventions, has become more common in various medical fields, the concept has begun to receive more attention in cancer care [1]. Despite the burgeoning interest in mHealth in the context of dermatological care, the outcomes of existing research on mobile technology in skin cancer care have been inconsistent [5,6]. The primary objective of this systematic review was to investigate recent research trends related to the use of mobile technology in the prevention and management of skin cancer, http://mhealth.jmir.org/2018/8/e164/ XSLFO RenderX. The review aims to answer the following key question: In what phase of the skin cancer continuum has mHealth technology been used and been effective among the adult population? Intensified research to seek its use and effectiveness in each phase of the skin cancer continuum is needed in this fast-growing field of teledermatology
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