Melanoma Aftercare Programme Selected for DigiFest Showcase

In a two-centre evaluation involving more than 240 melanoma survivors, ASICA+ users carried out more frequent and thorough skin checks, reported greater confidence and experienced improved quality of life, according to the University of Aberdeen. That result concerns self-monitoring after treatment; the release provides no melanoma-detection or survival outcome.

What does ASICA+ do?

ASICA+—Achieving Self-directed Integrated Cancer Aftercare—combines reminders, guided whole-skin self-examination, image capture and structured reporting. It helps previously treated patients examine their skin systematically and communicate concerns to healthcare professionals. The design explicitly supports clinical decision-making rather than replacing it.

Professor Peter Murchie, of the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, and Dr Dewei Yi, of the School of Natural and Computing Sciences, co-lead the University of Aberdeen programme. Their model joins patient-generated information to clinician review, leaving the proposed artificial intelligence (AI) function subordinate to clinician judgment.

How will DigiFest demonstrate it?

ASICA+ has been selected for the Scottish Funding Council’s Research and Innovation Zone at DigiFest 2026. The event, described by the university as Scotland’s leading conference on digital innovation in health and social care, takes place Wednesday, 9 December 2026, at the University of Strathclyde’s Technology & Innovation Centre in Glasgow.

At the stand, visitors can test a smartphone and tablet or laptop demonstration using non-clinical test images. The sequence includes a guided skin check, immediate feedback on image quality and an example of a report clinicians could receive. No patient data will be used, which limits the demonstration to interface and workflow assessment rather than clinical validation.

What can responsible AI add?

The programme’s stated ambition is to use affordable, responsible AI to improve patient-generated images (photographs captured by patients), prompt earlier action and support remote clinical review. The developers also identify rural and remote communities as a potential application setting.

Those are intended benefits, not endpoints established by the reported evaluation. That evaluation assessed check frequency, thoroughness, confidence and quality of life, not image accuracy, recurrence or survival.

Professor Peter Murchie, ASICA+ clinical lead, said: “We are delighted that ASICA+ has been selected by the Scottish Funding Council for DigiFest 2026. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the strength of our collaboration across computing science, primary care, patients and NHS partners.”

Dr Dewei Yi, ASICA+ AI lead, said: “We want to demonstrate how responsible and affordable AI can support people after melanoma treatment while keeping clinicians firmly in the decision-making loop. We hope that showcasing ASICA+ at DigiFest will open up new opportunities for partnership, adoption and real-world impact.”

These statements emphasize collaboration and clinician oversight rather than replacement of clinicians. They leave comparative clinical benefit and the conditions for routine adoption to later evaluation.

What does the evaluation establish?

The two-centre evaluation involved more than 240 melanoma survivors and found more frequent, more thorough skin checks, greater confidence and improved quality of life among ASICA+ users. The release does not report effect sizes, allocation methods, a comparator, follow-up duration or statistical uncertainty.

That evidence supports improved self-monitoring and patient-reported outcomes, but not a claim that ASICA+ reduces missed melanoma, recurrence or mortality. No diagnostic-accuracy results or clinical outcomes are presented.

Who is involved in ASICA+?

ASICA+ brings together researchers and partners from the University of Aberdeen’s Institute of Applied Health Sciences and School of Natural and Computing Sciences; the University of Stirling; Cancer Research UK; NHS Grampian; and NHS Tayside. The group also includes patients, healthcare professionals, psychologists and computing scientists.

An advanced prototype of the ASICA app is currently being evaluated by melanoma survivors. Any individual previously treated for cutaneous melanoma (melanoma arising in the skin) can contact the research team at [email protected] about joining; ASICA+ is the programme entering the showcase, whereas ASICA is the prototype under evaluation.

DigiFest provides a visible test of usability and partnership potential, not proof of clinical benefit. If adoption expands, the next test is whether the programme can reproduce those check and quality-of-life benefits outside the evaluation setting.