Bupa has overhauled its skin cancer pathway with remote technology to help increase the number of patients coming forward and speed up diagnosis.
The insurer is sending out high quality lenses to members so they can take pictures of skin lesions they are worried about and return them to cancer specialists.
Speaking at the Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries (AMII) annual general meeting, Bupa medical director Dr Robin Clark told delegates how the provider had modified pathways for some cancers during the pandemic when fewer people were coming forward to report symptoms.
It was this new environment amid the challenges of the pandemic that led to Bupa’s launch of its remote pathway for skin cancer in 2020.
“That worked by customers receiving a high quality lens and they can take a picture of the skin lesions that they are worried about,” Clark said.
“They use an app to share that picture with the dermatologist and they can get a diagnosis and a formulaic treatment plan within 24 hours and we are seeing a steady increase in the use of that pathway.
“Last year we had over 2,800 customer using that skin cancer remote pathway and it is really well received. Nearly half of the people using it thankfully get the all clear and the remainder get guided towards a consultant for further tests, diagnosis and treatment,” he added.
Touching on the importance of early diagnosis, Clark revealed breast cancer has a five year survival rate of 98% when diagnosed early which drops to 26% when diagnosed at later stages, while for skin cancer it is 99% at an early stage and 71% when diagnosed later.
He noted that every 15 minutes somebody in the UK is diagnosed with bowel cancer – making it the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK.
But Clark added that Bupa members benefit from direct access service which means anyone presenting with possible cancer symptoms or is worried about possible cancer symptoms can speak directly with clinically led teams that can assess their symptoms without the need for a GP referral.
