Digital Dermatology in Scotland

Dr Beth Kerr, a GP in the Scottish Borders, discusses her involvement in digital dermatology on this month’s SNUG podcast. She explains her role as a clinical lead in the development of a digital dermatology pathway in collaboration with the Centre For Sustainable Delivery (CFSD). The project is part of the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) Pathway  and aims to address the significant backlog in dermatology care across Scotland by implementing a streamlined process for GPs to send triage-quality images with referrals via a secure app. This app, integrated with the SCI Gateway referral system, allows images to be taken and uploaded directly to the National Digital Platform without storing data on personal devices.

The project was developed in response to the increasing demand for dermatology services, with long waiting times and unfilled specialist posts posing significant challenges. The digital solution, allows GPs to easily attach images to referrals, reducing the need for patients to wait for face-to-face appointments. Beth highlighted the app's benefits, such as faster treatment, better allocation of resources, and the flexibility for GPs to use their own devices. Training resources, including videos and virtual sessions, are planned to ensure smooth adoption across Scotland. Evaluation of the project’s impact will be ongoing, with regular reporting on key performance indicators to measure success and guide further development.

Centre for Sustainable Delivery    Introducing the Centre for Sustainable Delivery video

Developing a national Digital Dermatology Pathway  Video

The Scottish Health Technologies Group's assessment of Store and Forward Teledermatology for triage of primary care referrals.

Teledermatology

Register for this year’s SNUG conference    Traditional Scottish Ceilidh Band