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Investigating the evidence for effective digital skin surveillance methods.
F Fabbri1, I Albusaidi1, G Ntani2,3
1Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Service, Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, London, SE1 7NJ, UK.
Occupational Medicine (Oxford, England)
|June 2, 2026
Summary
Digital tools show promise for detecting hand dermatitis in healthcare workers, but further workplace testing is needed. Current methods offer high specificity but modest sensitivity, requiring validation in diverse occupational settings.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Occupational Health
- Digital Health Surveillance
Background:
- Hand dermatitis is a prevalent occupational skin disease, particularly affecting healthcare workers.
- Effective detection methods are crucial for managing this condition in at-risk populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of various digital skin surveillance methods for identifying hand dermatitis.
- To assess the diagnostic accuracy of digital screening tools compared to clinical assessments.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive scoping review was conducted, adhering to PRISMA-Scoping guidelines.
- Search strategies were developed using the PICO framework across multiple databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE) and grey literature.
- Five relevant articles were included after rigorous screening of titles, abstracts, and full texts.
Main Results:
- Digital surveillance tools for hand dermatitis yielded mixed findings.
- Methods included self-assessment questionnaires with photo grading, compared against clinician assessments using photographs.
- One study reported high specificity (86%) and negative predictive value (91%), but modest sensitivity (52%) and low positive predictive value (39%).
- Self-assessment screening showed only fair agreement with dermatologist assessments, indicating variability.
Conclusions:
- Digital skin surveillance methods show potential for detecting hand dermatitis.
- Further validation in diverse workplace settings and among different at-risk occupational groups is warranted.
- Implementation within workplace skin surveillance programs could enhance early detection and management.