A digital skin health checker, available via a cash plan app, has helped identify 1,000 clinically validated cases of skin cancer for treatment since it launched in 2020.
Medicash, a health cash plan provider, said it was proud to announce this significant milestone, in partnership with Skinvision.
The Skinvision app allows users to monitor suspicious moles and skin lesions and receive a clinically backed risk assessment. Users upload images through the app, then receive a risk assessment within minutes. There is a follow-up clinical validation via a team of specialist dermatologists to ensure a high level of reliability.
The accessible technology means potential issues can be spotted early, contributing to faster diagnoses and improved health outcomes.
One employee, Melanie, had a mole that caught her eye when it started to change shape and develop an irregular edge.
“My employer provides a health cash plan with Medicash which includes free access to Skinvision. When I took a picture of the mole with the app it came back saying it looks suspicious and I should get it looked at. After the advice I sent the pictures to my GP, and they referred me to a dermatologist straight away. The dermatologist initially thought it would be an in-situ melanoma, but it turned out to have moved into the entire epidermis, so it was stage 1,” she said.
“After my experience with skin cancer, I found out that a friends’ mum sadly died of melanoma, which had a big impact on me. So, I told everybody on Facebook about my story and encouraged others to get their moles checked. You just don’t expect to ever get such a diagnosis yourself; it was really scary especially with two children. So, today I am sharing my story because I want to encourage other people to get their skin checked. Not only moles but everything, lumps, bumps, anything.”
Sue Weir, chief executive at Medicash, said: “This milestone reflects the effectiveness of our partnership with Skinvision in making skin health assessment more accessible and potentially life-saving.
“With skin cancer rates on the rise, particularly in the UK, it is essential that our policyholders have the tools to identify potential issues as early as possible. Our collaboration with Skinvision is a powerful example of how technology can improve wellbeing outcomes, ultimately transforming lives and strengthening healthcare support.”
