Update on mobile applications in dermatology.

BACKGROUND

As the use of mobile devices surpasses that of personal computers, medical applications increasingly provide easy access to a diverse range of health care resources.

PURPOSE

To analyze changes in the number of dermatologic mobile applications since 2012.

METHODS

We examined five mobile platforms (Apple, Android, Windows, Nokia, and Blackberry) for dermatology-related diagnoses applications. The apps were categorized by purpose, cost, and target audience.

RESULTS

A total of 365 dermatologic mobile applications were analyzed with 225 new mobile applications found since 2012. Since the last query, there was a decrease in market share of reference materials (26.6% in 2012 to 15.9% in 2014) and self-surveillance/diagnosis applications (17.9% in 2012 to 12.9% in 2014) while teledermatology apps increased from 3.5% of total apps in 2012 to 9% in 2014.

CONCLUSIONS

Dermatology apps continue to proliferate with minimal regulation. As technology continues to advance and physicians have greater access to mobile- health information, novel advancements in diagnosis may lead to more time-and-location-flexible patient care.