The myGP app by iPlato a Huma company, had an impressive user base of over 3 million subscribers, and had significantly enhanced the accessibility and quality of healthcare services. In the app you could book GP appointments, get NHS online prescriptions, patient access to medical records, track your weight and check any skin ailments with Autoderm.
Autoderm skin scanner was a standout feature in the myGP app, it used cutting-edge technology designed to triage skin conditions efficiently and accurately. This innovative solution had been instrumental in transforming dermatological care, particularly in identifying and managing skin cancers. The technology was not intended to substitute a doctor’s visit, but get the right patient to the right level of care at the right time.
Autoderm AI dermatology engine
Overview
The Autoderm AI Dermatology Engine was research backed and state-of-the-art skin scanner that leveraged advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms to analyze skin conditions. Its primary function was to assist in the early detection of various dermatological issues, such as inflammatory skin problems, skin infections, skin cancers such as melanoma and genital concerns.
Since its integration in the myGP app, Autoderm had screened over 370,000 skin images. On average, around 500 individuals used the skin scanner daily, highlighting its popularity and the trust users placed in this technology.
Accuracy and Efficiency:
The AI engine was designed to deliver high accuracy in its assessments, providing users with quick and reliable results. This efficiency was crucial for early detection and timely intervention, which could significantly improve patient outcomes. The AI model had been researched in a clinical GP setting and the results published in Nature, where the accuracy was on par with experienced GPs. It was not as good as a tele-dermatologist, however a GP with the aid of Autoderm as a decision support tool, could have prevented 34% referrals to a dermatologist and helped the GP diagnose patients correctly in 60% of the skin disease cases.
May myGP app scanning results
We looked at the data from May 2024. A total of 18359 analyses were done.
Distribution of disease types by category detected in the myGP app during May 2024
Top prediction counts Top skin condition prediction counts in the myGP app during May 2024
Melanoma Detection
Autoderm identified 79 cases of melanoma, about 2-3 per day. Considering that in the UK, approximately 46 melanomas were diagnosed daily, this statistic showed that about 5% of melanomas in the UK population were found via the myGP app. It underscored the critical role Autoderm played in early detection, which was vital in managing melanoma, as it greatly increased the chances of successful treatment.
Examples of melanoma cases detected via AutoDerm and validated by FirstDerm dermatologists
Discussion
It is estimated that there are only 750 dermatologists in the UK and the waiting time to see one can take many months. There are no screening programs for melanoma or any other cancers, because the research has not shown the benefits versus the risks. If a patient has a suspicious lesion they will need to turn to their GP. Recent reports have shown that 1 in 10 faces a three-week wait for a GP appointment.
A positive finding from our results showed that there was an “over weight” of benign skin tumours. Seborrheic keratosis is a typical lesion that can look bad, but it is very common, it is not contagious or dangerous and can be easily removed by scraping them off by your local GP.
“Using AI to screen for skin ailments is not intended to substitute a GP or a dermatologist appointment, but to build patient awareness, education and get them into a GP office without delay for a definite diagnosis and care.”
In the myGP app there was also a function to ask a real online dermatologist for further clarification provided by First Derm. The partnership between myGP and Autoderm represented a significant advancement in digital healthcare. By providing users with a reliable, efficient, and an accurate tool for skin condition screening, the myGP app ensured that its subscribers had access to cutting-edge technology that could potentially save lives. The impressive detection rates, particularly the estimated identification of 5% of melanomas in the UK population, highlighted an example where AI in healthcare had clear benefits. As the technology continued to evolve, Autoderm was at the forefront, setting new standards in the early detection and management of dermatological conditions. The partnership with the myGP app let Autoderm reach millions of people effortlessly.
Update, June 2026
Autoderm’s integration with the myGP app concluded in June 2026, and Autoderm no longer powers the skin condition checker in the app.
Over the course of the partnership, Autoderm analysed more than 370,000 skin images for people using myGP across UK primary care, helping users understand a skin concern early and get to their GP or NHS service at the right moment. It was one of the largest real-world deployments of smartphone dermatology imaging in UK primary care, and the data continues to form part of Autoderm’s post-market clinical follow-up evidence. Our thanks to the team at myGP for the collaboration.
The findings reported in this article are unchanged and stand as published. Autoderm remains deployed with healthcare partners across the UK and Europe.
