The study team will be looking at evidence collected from NHS teams using DERM in autonomous use compared with NHS teams using standard care. This will help to show if DERM should be used across the NHS to improve how people with skin cancer are identified and treated quickly.
Health Innovation Wessex brings extensive experience of cancer innovation, evaluation and programme management to the collaboration. Our partners, Wessex Secure Data Environment (SDE), part of University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, and Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, part of the University of Southampton, along with support from other Health Innovation Networks, will be engaging with Trusts to support their participation in the study and extract data. We will use routine NHS patient information already collected as part of NHS care. This may include referral information, appointments, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and demographic information such as age, sex and ethnicity where available.
A Public Advisory Group is being recruited to help design the study, so it reflects what matters to patients and the public.
Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK and urgent referral numbers are increasing nationally. Coupled with the capacity and appointments challenges being faced by primary care teams and the limited number of dermatologists available to review suspected cases, there is a growing need to support the clinical teams to review and diagnose suspected skin cancers more quickly.
DERM is used to support the assessment of suspected skin cancer lesions in people aged 18 or over. NICE has asked NHS teams already using this tool to help collect evidence to show how it can be used safely, fairly, and effectively in skin cancer care, including for people with different skin tones and backgrounds. This study will collect evidence to answer three questions:
1. What is the effect of using DERM in teledermatology services on resource use?
2. What is the accuracy of DERM when used in teledermatology services at detecting cancer and non-cancer skin lesions compared with teledermatology services alone?
3. What is the accuracy of DERM in people with different skin tones?
We will compare four NHS pathway types working with up to 16 NHS Trusts across England. The study commenced in April 2026 and will report in March 2028 to inform NICE guidance on the future use of DERM in the NHS.
It will look at whether the tool can:
• Help reduce avoidable appointments, biopsies and waiting times
• Assess suspected skin cancer as safely as current NHS care
• Work safely and accurately for people with different skin tones
The study team is currently recruiting sites and gathering information to support the study.
Regular updates will be added to this page as we progress. You can also find more information about this project on the study website: REAL-DERM or Contact us for further information.
