Smartphone photos may be misleading doctors and putting patients at risk, finds new research

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By Rebecca Payne and Zengbo Wang

Remote triage and consultation is now embedded within general practice. Consequently, patient-submitted smartphone photographs have become routine tools for clinical assessment.

However, the image quality you're reviewing may be fundamentally compromised. There may be pixelation or automatic colour adjustment. The phone may have erased a rash or smoothed the skin. The critical question is whether you're evaluating the actual pathology or an ‘enhanced’ version?