The Digital Dermatology Image Capture Referral Pathway

The Digital Dermatology Image Capture Referral Pathway has been developed in collaboration with ANIA and its NHS Scotland partners along with specialist input from Dermatology and Primary Care.

The Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) Pathway is a Chief Scientist Office funded programme focused on using technology to fast-track proven innovations into the healthcare frontline on a Once for Scotland basis. 

ANIA is led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) and delivered in partnership with NHS and Scottish Government to:

• Identify and assess new health technologies with both the required impact and evidence base for accelerated adoption across NHS Scotland.

• Implement the national rollout of technology and associated changes to clinical pathways across NHS Scotland.

Dermatology is one of the busiest outpatient specialities, with over 2,000 diagnosable conditions. The Digital Dermatology Image Capture Referral Pathway has been developed in collaboration with ANIA and its NHS Scotland partners along with specialist input from Dermatology and Primary Care.

Using a secure mobile phone app, the national Digital Dermatology Pathway will allow Primary Care clinicians to make use of excellent quality phone cameras to easily, and safely, take images of a patient’s skin condition at the point of referral to Dermatology, with the potential to significantly speed up diagnosis and improve waiting times. Following the initial roll out in the launch Boards, the aim is for the technology to be deployed nationally by Spring 2025.

More information on ANIA can be found here.

More information on the Digital Dermatology pathway can be found here.