Patient Tracking for Skin Cancer Screening and Follow-Up Care

As technology develops, medical technologists and other professionals in the healthcare field can effectively track patients dealing with various conditions. Skin cancer is a prominent diagnosis among many Americans. Optimize patient tracking processes throughout this disease’s screening and treatment stage. 

The Significance of Tracking Skin Cancer Patients

Skin cancer is common in the U.S., with most people believing it to be an epidemic. About one in five people will be diagnosed with a variation of skin cancer by age 70. The causes can be anything from sun exposure to UVA rays from artificial light sources.

As people raise more awareness about different kinds of skin cancer and get tested, more people may undergo skin cancer screenings. It’s recommended to undergo a full-body check-up even in one’s early 20s. If spotted early, intervention can be simpler. Some cases of skin cancer are highly treatable, especially in its earlier stages.

That said, patient tracking is more important than ever in these cases. Each person has their own clinical decisions and care plan. Mismatching the diagnosis and treatments can stir unnecessary worries and spark errors. It will aggravate rather than help people.

Inaccurate patient tracking can also stigmatize skin cancer and the process of screening and treating the condition. Focus on optimizing how medical data is handled to safeguard patient information and improve skin cancer care.

Patient Tracking Tools in Skin Cancer Care

To achieve effective patient tracking for people with skin cancer, medical professionals should invest in various tools. Resources and processes make matching simpler and streamlined.

EHR Systems

Electronic health records are an excellent digital solution to keep track of patients. Written medical records are a great way to write down the diagnosis or progression of a skin cancer patient, but it can be overwhelming to filter through so many documents. There’s also the difficulty of having duplicate records mixed with the danger of human errors during encoding.

The right EHR system can hold all necessary information and medical history about a patient. Health providers will find it much easier to access these digital records when needed, which can help save time. Plus, updating the records during sessions reflects in real-time. This is imperative for medical technologists working with dermatologists or other medical professionals in treatment.

Biometric Data

Biometric information like patient fingerprints or face scans can optimize a healthcare provider’s EHR system. Digital records can be convenient. That said, there’s still room for erroneous assortment. Providers must make patient identity matching accurate to adhere to the 21st Century Cures Act, which calls for enhanced interoperability in managing patient data.

The integration of biometric data can be the key to preventing record mismatches. Since it’s such a unique information set, the correct records are available to medical professionals no matter what. They’ll be able to focus on skin cancer care and helping patients rather than worrying about their records.

Mobile App Tech

There are several mobile apps to help skin cancer patients detect certain conditions and seek medical attention. While nothing can replicate human-led health care, the programs can lend a helping hand. Monitoring one’s condition to track the progression of one’s condition can be a great collaborative effort between clinicians and patients.

Most apps analyze users’ pictures of their skin to look for lesions and other indicators of skin cancer. They magnify the images to track one’s moles and spots. Some will supply data on the diameter growth of these marks and a record of their color. Patients can present the findings to a medical professional to provide further insight into their condition.

Some health providers may even prescribe using these apps as a surveillance method throughout the follow-up care process. For instance, a patient is diagnosed with melanoma due to extreme sun exposure. While treatment is ongoing, they are encouraged to observe their skin with tech on their phones.

Areas of Improvement in Patient Tracking

Patient tracking is at an optimal growth stage, though there are certain areas of improvement to be considered. For instance, the healthcare industry is vulnerable to data breaches. Incidents can cost about twice the average across different sectors due to how sensitive medical information is.

Biometric data can help improve authentication processes and patient matching, but it focuses more on accessibility. Enhanced security measures are imperative in case of hackers bypass that initial stage of accessing records.

Mobile apps for patients are also a pivotal contributor to tracking patients. However, most of these programs come from third-party app developers. While fully functional, the programs may lack input from those with healthcare experience or specialization in skin cancer. 

It would be ideal to see healthcare providers develop a patient companion application under their wing. Customize the interface and configure the information available. Plus, they can verify the accuracy of the medical data while safeguarding what’s been collected.

Look to Patient Tracking Developments

Patient tracking for skin cancer care has come a long way, making current processes the smoothest they’ve ever been. At the same time, there are still ways to make screening and follow-up care even more efficient.