Acne is one of the most common inflammatory dermatoses affecting millions globally. Many effective treatment options are available including prescription and over-the-counter medicines as well as office-based procedures. If acne is not treated early enough or effectively, permanent scarring often ensues. Patients can access information about acne and its treatment from many sources, including magazines and online websites, yet many never seek professional help. In the UK, those who do seek advice may do so from pharmacies or primary care physicians before being referred, if necessary, to dermatology specialists. Over-reliance on antibiotics is still common in many European countries despite warnings in recent evidence-based guidelines of the impact on antimicrobial resistance in the community. Poor adherence and inappropriate prescribing mean many courses of treatment are wasted. Delay in implementing effective therapy which targets inflammation in acne results in unnecessary emotional and physical scarring.
Oral isotretinoin is a highly effective therapy for acne but is currently only available via an appropriately trained dermatologist and as a hospital only prescription due to potential serious adverse effects including teratogenicity and concerns about a causal relationship between the drug and depression / suicidal ideation. Female patients on isotretinoin require monthly follow up as part of a pregnancy prevention programme. More cost-effective care pathways and avoidance of waste are priorities for health service providers. This is all compounded by the fact that the majority of dermatologists use subjective, typically administrative methods of classifying acne lesions. Without objective, quantified data, the treatments are more costly. Severe acne is generally treated with strong drugs, e.g. tetracycline, that can induce serious side effect such as skin irritation, burning or redness, peeling, scaling or discoloration of the skin, increased tendency to sunburn, upset stomach, dizziness, light-headedness or even fetal malformations for pregnant women.
Neglecting to take care of acne may lead to permanent physical effects, like scarring or disfigurement that can also accompany long-lasting psychosocial effects: depression, anxiety, poor self-image and poor self-esteem, or even suicidality. Recent studies had proved that 56% of acne sufferers are more likely to have feelings of isolation and loneliness, 5% of acne patients have considered suicide and 5% have higher unemployment rate compared to adults without acne.
mySkin aims to significantly contribute to a sustainable and cost efficient healthcare system by automating and simplifying the assessment of acne severity. In the PH2 project mySkin seeks to clinically validate, qualify and certify the medical device through a large-scale multicentre medical trial and to develop a high quality and large scale database. The expected outcome of the project is to bring a medically certified MD device to the European market at the end of PH2.
