Last week came the unveiling of the Apple Watch — a twist on the traditional timepiece, which not only tells you if you’re running late, but also comes with in-built ‘apps’, many with a health theme.
Mobile phone applications, or apps, have transformed the way we use phones.
We download around 25 million each month, and health has emerged as a major area for growth.
Early attempts focused on information, providing instant access to details about diseases.
The latest versions aim to use the phone as a DIY tool, taking readings to identify and monitor potentially life-threatening problems.
But, from measuring heart rate to checking suspect moles, can an app really help to improve your health? We ask the experts . . .
SKIN CANCER
Doctor Mole
£3.99, iPhone, Android and Windows
Doctor Mole is one of several apps that work in a similar way, claiming to be able to detect malignant melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer.
use your smartphone to take a picture of a suspect mole, and the app instantly analyses it for three key indicators — asymmetry, border outline and colour. It then gives a colour-coded ‘risk’ level for each characteristic. It can store images so it can compare next time you scan the mole. It also reminds you, via a message on your phone, when to check it again.
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘Most of these skin cancer apps have to be considered unreliable,’ says John Hawk, emeritus professor of dermatology at King’s College London.
‘They are very likely to miss moles that are a malignant melanoma, or highlight ones that are not.
‘They can get it wrong both ways and that represents a huge risk to the patient.
‘Looking at a picture of a mole is not enough to make a diagnosis. A doctor also needs to find out what changes have occurred in the mole.’
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