Empowering patients: leveraging the untapped potential of smartphone recordings in dermatology consultations

During consultations, patients can be overwhelmed with new diagnoses and complex treatment plans, particularly when bad news is broken (such as a new skin cancer diagnosis). Patients may be unable to recall nuanced medical information, particularly if elderly, attending on their own, with lower literacy, with impaired sensory abilities and where English may not be their first language. Given the ubiquity of smartphones, recording conversations during consultations – with the doctor’s consent – has become an accessible tool for patients. Allowing patients to record their consultations can empower them, enhance recall and reduce decisional regret, particularly in emotionally charged settings such as skin cancer clinics where cognitive processing may be impaired.