Introduction
Photo triage enables more patients to be streamlined directly to treatment or biopsy without the need for a face-to-face review of the lesion in a clinic and allows more patients to be safely discharged from Secondary Care with advice or reassurance. This is essential to manage the volume of Urgent Suspicious of Cancer (USOC). Photos are also helpful for inflammatory or other skin conditions but are less essential.
Methods
We will accept any high-resolution photo for referrals.
The preferred option is to use the Consultant Connect App link to Using the Consultant Connect App page.
The previous process using the Outlook app is still available currently. The attached guide runs through the necessary steps for this process including how to specifically attach photos to Sci Gateway referrals. There is now also a vision template for recording patient consent for photos; guidance on how this can be installed is also provided.
General-3-DigitalDermaOutlook_SOP_v0.1-2.pdf
Contacts: For support with the process around attaching photos using outlook please contact loth.digitaldermatology@nhs.scot
It is possible to use photos taken by patients that have been received via eConsult. However, these need to be high-resolution, in focus and show the appropriate detail.
Image quality
Please see the guidance below on taking better photos as this enables more effective clinical triage in secondary care. This guidance can be used by clinicians and patients.
Taking-better-photos-portrait-leaflet.pdf
1.Check to ensure the photograph is clear and in focus before sending.
2. It is helpful to have at least 3 pictures with your referral – a picture of the lesion/rash to show where it is (“orientation shot”), a closer photo ideally next to a ruler, a close-up photo of the area of concern. A dermatoscopic image is helpful if this is available to you.
3. Mark the lesion in question when including a photograph that has multiple lesions on it.
BC Jan 2026
