EDINBURGH – Mobile phone apps that provide real-time, personalized sun risk and protection information are gaining ground in the fight against skin cancer.
The SunSmart app uses geolocation to alert iPhone, Android, and Samsung phones users in Australia when the UV Index reaches 3 or more and protection is required.
"The great advantage of a smartphone app for communicating the UV Index is that it can really communicate very directly to individuals based on their location," Craig Sinclair said at the 15th World Congress on Cancers of the Skin.
The SunSmart app also provides precise information related to the UV index and behavior prompts associated with it. It can, for example, calculate how much sunscreen should be applied based on the user’s height, weight, and choice of clothing; provide reminders to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours; and track whether a user is getting enough vitamin D based on their skin type, time spent outdoors, and clothing choices, said Mr. Sinclair of the Cancer Council Australia, Victoria, developer of the app.
The World UV app, created by the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) and the United Kingdom’s Met Office (national weather service), takes sun protection one step further by providing a guide to the Fitzpatrick skin classification scale so users can determine the effects of the current UV rating on their specific skin type.
The app uses simple icons to relay the current UV index in real time and whether skin protection is required. Separate tabs allow access to more information on their Fitzpatrick skin type, what type of protection is required, and sun protection tips.
The app uses geolocation to pinpoint users but also allows them to select from more than 10,000 locations worldwide – making it a truly global app, Nina Goad, head of communications at BAD, said at the meeting.
Since its informal launch in 2012, more than 150,000 people in 200 countries have downloaded the free World UV app. The app has been most popular in the United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, and Australia, she said.
The launch of the SunSmart app in late 2010 has prompted roughly 130,000 Australians to download the free app. An online survey of 78 users in February 2011 showed that 85% felt it was easy to use and 87% said it met or exceeded expectations, Mr. Sinclair said at the meeting, which was sponsored by the Skin Cancer Foundation.
A follow-up survey of 380 persons revealed that 72% "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that using the app improved their sun protection that summer.
Another 86% said that it made them more aware of the times of day when sun protection is required and 81% said they were able to recognize the difference between UV level and temperature, which is "always a difficult issue to communicate," Mr. Sinclair said.
"These are self-reports, so there is undoubtedly some bias associated with them, but nonetheless, showing reasonably promising results," he added.
Both Mr. Sinclair and Ms. Goad said the apps will continue to be refined to increase downloads and return visits but noted that their respective nonprofits do not have the funding for large-scale advertising campaigns.