Skin condition imaging technology to be scaled across North West London

Imaging technology that allows patients to securely share pictures of skin conditions is set to be rolled out across North West London after a successful pilot.

The technology from ISLA was trialled by several teams at Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust during the Covid-19 pandemic, including dermatology, burns and pain management.

It allowed patients to share images of rashes, wounds and other skin conditions digitally with clinicians without the need to travel to the hospital.

The pilot was well received by clinicians and patients, according to a statement from CW Innovation, the innovation arm of the hospital’s CW+ programme.

Dr Gayathri Perera, consultant dermatologist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “ISLA technology has hugely impacted the way we’ve delivered care. With a direct line of communication with patients, who are able to share visual updates and discuss symptoms from home, we can agree a treatment pathway together, easily and transparently.

“Digital platforms like ISLA are great examples of how remote care has been, and will continue to be, reshaped as a result of the pandemic.”

The partnership with ISLA is part of the CW Innovation programme, a joint initiative between the trust and its charity CW+ to test and scale innovations and digital systems that improve patient care and experience.

ISLA provides an encrypted visual record which can be integrated with other clinical systems and allows healthcare professionals to identify how a condition is changing over time

Dr Claire Fuller, consultant dermatologist at the trust and chair of the North West London CRG, said: “Our work with ISLA is a great example of how we are working with digital health partners to benefit our patients.

The ISLA team fully understand the realities and needs of image management in clinical practice and how this can transform virtual practice reducing hospital visits for patients.

“We look forward to our ongoing collaboration as we roll-out it the technology more broadly across North West London, and hopefully throughout the NHS in the future.”

Peter Hansell, co-founder of ISLA, added: “We are committed to providing patients and clinicians with a secure and intuitive way to use visual data as we believe this is key to delivering care in a scalable and convenient way.

“It’s been fantastic to work with the Chelsea and Westminster team, who have integrated our technology as part of the trust’s day-to-day systems so quickly, and we look forward to supporting across the North West London region.”

CW+ was a sponsor of this year’s Digital Health Rewired Pitchfest. For the second year in a row the CW Innovation programme offered the winner a real-world opportunity to test and scale their product.

This year’s Pitchfest winner was Peppy Health, an app that connects people going through challenging health stages, including menopause, fertility and parenthood.

You can read more about Peppy Health in our winner profile here.