Intro to Dermengine

Dermengine at Molescope Skin Cancer Clinic

From May 2025 we have been using Dermengine as our Clinical Photography software. Dermengine is a specialised app used by Skin Cancer Clinics worldwide.

Dermengine quickly allows doctors to compare old and new photos of the same area to look for changes. Photos are taken using a smartphone and then analysed on a computer during the consultation.

What phones are used?

The phones are clinic based iPhone 15’s, not personal phones of the Doctors or Nurses. No photos are actually stored on the phones - all photos are only stored in the very secure cloud based app.

Are the phone photos as good quality as with a Digital Camera?

Phone photography quality has greatly improved recently and our clinic is using iPhone 15’s which have fantastic cameras and take very good photos, similar or better in quality to many digital cameras.

How does DermEngine monitor a spot of concern?

The app allows a spot of concern to be marked as being in a specific location on a 3D body model and all photos of that lesion over time are kept in one place to allow for easy comparison at future appointments.

DermEngine allows for easy side by side comparison of Dermoscopic photos of specific moles. It can match the photos to be the same size, the same colour (corrects for slight colour changes between photographs) and can add lines/guides for checking for asymmetry and it can even remove visible hairs.

What is Total Body Photography in DermEngine?

DermEngine offers a Total Body Photography feature which has standardised photo poses for various areas of the body. Then this allows for easy comparison of that area from one consultation to the next. AI assistance in the app then detects any changes in the two photos which then highlights the spots that the Doctor needs to look at in more detail.

The Total Body Photo part of the software shows two photos of the same part of the body side by side. On the right side it links the same mole side by side and groups them into spots that have definitely changed, those that have possibly slightly changed and those that look the same.

Does DermEngine have access to my photos and information?

Although the images are stored on DermEngine’s cloud based servers no-one outside of the clinic can access those images, your personal information and any notes in the software. The data is all stored on very secure servers in Australia in compliance with Medical Privacy Legislation in Australia.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in DermEngine

AI is included in DermEngine to help detect spots that change between photos taken on 2 different dates. This will speed up the process of Doctors analysing the photos of people to look for new or changed spots. This is especially important for people with lots of moles.

AI in DermEngine has a new feature that highlights changes in spots (especially on photos taken with Dermoscopy) that suggest that they could be a type of Skin Cancer. This is not a replacement for your Doctor but it helps your Doctor analyse your skin more quickly and to show you clearly where your mole has changed between two photos.

What does the AI access?

AI in DermEngine does analyse the photos for changes in moles and any information used by the AI part of the program does not have access to your name or any of your personal information. It also does not have access to any other information in your Medical Record.

What if I want to Opt-out of the AI features?

We understand that some people are concerned about the use of AI. DermEngine offers an online form to complete if you wish to opt out of the AI part of DermEngine - please speak to your Doctor or the Reception staff if you want more information. If you change your mind later you can opt back in.

Any Other Questions?

Please speak to your Doctor or our friendly Reception staff if you have any questions about DermEngine.

Note: Information provided in this blog is of a general nature and is not a substitute for advice from a medical professional. Please be advised that blog posts are not necessarily written by medical professionals. All care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information provided, however, no guarantee is made that it is free from error. Mention of any specific products or services in the context of a blog post does not indicate an endorsement of that product or service. This includes any images used in blog posts. Molescope always recommends that any medical advice is sought directly from medical professionals.