How to use the Mole Monitor app

Creating an account with mole monitor

Creating an account with Mole Monitor is simple.  
  1. Firstly, tap the 'Sign Up' link on the log in screen.  
  2. Then just enter your name, email address and a password for your security.  
  3. After you've entered your details, tap 'Create Account' or tap 'Return to Login' to cancel.

Your information will be stored safely and privately on our servers and will be used for no other purpose than to help you use Mole Monitor effectively.

Logging in to Mole Monitor

To access Mole Monitor, you can choose to log in with the email address and password you registered when creating your account or using your FaceBook or Twitter accounts.

Checking the 'Keep Me Logged In' box will temporarily remember your email address and password so the next time you come back to Mole Monitor you can bypass the log in.

Retrieving a forgotten password

We've all got to remember a lot of passwords these days so if, at some point you forget your Mole Monitor password don't worry.  
  1. Tap the 'Forgotten Password?' link on the log in screen.
  2. Enter an email address to send your password to.

We'll send you a new temporary password you can use to access your account.  We recommend you change your password as soon as possible.

Setting up your account

Completing your account settings is important for getting the most out of Mole Monitor. 
  1. Tap 'Settings' on the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.  
  2. Here under the 'Profile Settings' tab you should set your gender, age and your GP's email address if available.

This information is used by the app to set the gender of your 3D model and to make your Mole Monitor experience as easy as possible.

Entering your medical history

Context is extremely important for your doctor to assess your moles.  
  1. Tap 'Settings' on the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen and the 'Profile Settings' tab.  
  2. Answer the 7 brief questions about your medical history. 

By answering these questions you are providing your GP with important information which will help to put the visual records of your moles in context.

Using the 3D Model

Using the 3D model is designed to be simple and easy to navigate.  To view and place records, you can change the model view with the following gestures:
  • Zoom: two-finger pinch
  • Pan: two-finger drag
  • Rotate: one-finger drag

Creating a new record

To create a new record, simply navigate the 3D model to find the location of the mole as accurately as possible.  Zooming in will help to place the record.
  1. Double-tap the location on the 3D model to create the record.  
  2. Modify the record name as desired then press 'Create Record' to proceed or 'Cancel' to go back.

Inspecting records on the model

To inspect existing records on the 3D model, find the record you're interested in then: 
  • Tap once on the marker dot representing it's location.

The marker is colour-coded to indicate the age of the record.  When the marker is red, it's time to update the record images.  
  • Tapping the camera button will take you to the image capture screen.  
  • Tapping the magnifying glass will take you to the comparison and notes screen
  • Tapping the trash icon allows you to delete a record.

​Updating records

There are two methods of updating your records.  We recommend the guided process but choose whichever you find easier.
  • Updating a single record
    1. Select the record you would like to update to display the popup
    2. Tap the camera button on the popup to capture a new image
  • Updating all records (guided)
    1. Tap the guided capture camera button in the top right of the home screen
    2. You will then be guided through each record on the model starting with your most out-of-date record 

capturing images

You can reach the image capture screen by tapping on the camera icon in the home screen or by tapping 'Update Record' from the record comparison screen menu.
  1. When you're ready to take the picture, tap the camera icon at the bottom of the screen. 
  2. Press 'OK' and place the camera against your mole.  
  3. Hold the phone still and wait for a beep.  
  4. Move the phone away from the skin until you hear a single beep.  
  5. You can then take the photo from this position.  If you hear a double beep then you have moved the phone either too quickly or too slowly and must repeat the procedure.

Picture
"A disabled camera button indicates that you're phone is in landscape mode.  Hold it upright for a better photo."
 The movement sensors on your phone are used by Mole Monitor to ensure your images are all taken at the same distance from the skin and that their scale is correct.  This feature can be disabled by enabling 'Manual Shot' in 'Camera Settings'.

We strongly recommend always taking images in bright light and from a distance of greater than 5cm for the best quality.  If you're having problems with image clarity and focussing, you can find more on how to fix these problems here.
WITH MACRO LENS
WITHOUT MACRO LENS

Adjusting camera settings

Basic camera settings including flash, exposure and distance from the skin can be accessed either from the image capture screen by pressing the 'Settings' button or by pressing 'Settings' on the navigation bar and going to the 'Camera Settings' tab.

  • Flash: Auto, On, Off
  • Manual Shot: Set to disable image scale correction
  • Auto-exposure: On, Off
  • Photo distance: Best set to greater than 5cm for image scale correction

It is important that when set the photo distance remains the same for all photos for a correct comparison.  It is recommended that all photos are taken in the same lighting conditions (ideally good lighting without flash).

Side-by-side image comparison

Mole Monitor has strong features for comparing and inspecting your records.  The side-by-side comparison allows you to place two images adjacent to eachother for inspection.
  1. Activate the side-by-side comparison by tapping the top-right-most image button. 
  2. Select the images to compare by dragging them into the blue and green boxes.

You can zoom, pan and rotate the images with gestures.

Overlay comparison and feature enhancement

Overlay comparison is a powerful comparison feature which allows you to place your images on top of each other to identify any differences.  The secondary image will become translucent so you can compare.
  1. Activate the side-by-side comparison by tapping the top-right-most image button. 
  2. Select the images to compare by dragging them into the blue and green boxes.
  3. Roll the phone sideways in your hand to adjust the translucency of the secondary image.

It is recommended that the 'Feature Enhance' function is applied to the overlaid image for comparison.  'Feature Enhance' identifies and highlights the features of the moles to allow easy comparison and can be turned on by tapping the thumbnail image then the 'Enhance' button.

Adding descriptions to your images

Describing how your mole or skin lesion felt when updating the record can be useful information for your GP or dermatologist.  These descriptions will be added to each image included in your report.
  1. Tap the thumbnail image to bring up the description pane.
  2. Tap the description text to edit.
​

'ABCDE' system for assessing moles

The ABCDE system has been created to give a standardised assessment method for skin lesions, especially moles. It is important to note that sometimes malignant melanoma may be present despite the following features being normal. 
  • Asymmetry: are the two halves of the mole the different? Less symmetrical shapes are generally more concern.
  • Border: are the edges of the mole are poorly defined? Is it ragged, irregular, or blurred? Again, regular shapes are less concerning.
  • Colour: is the colour uneven with shades of tan, brown or black? Some melanoma are blue or pink. 
  • Diameter: has there been a change, particularly an increase, in lesion size? Increasing size, especially over 6mm diameter is more concerning.
  • Elevation/evolution: as melanoma progresses, it may grow down and up from the skin, becoming elevated. Early melanoma may be flat and any change is a concern. This change may be in size and shape or in symptoms such as itching, bleeding or scabbing. 

Tapping the 'ABCDE Assessment' button on the comparison screen menu will activate a pop-up guide to take you through the process.

Generating and emailing your report

Mole Monitor allows you to generate a report including recent images, comments and medical history in a PDF format which can be emailed to yourself, your GP or anyone you choose.
  1. To create a report, tap 'Settings' in the navigation bar then tap 'Email Report' at the bottom of the 'Profile Settings' tab.  
  2. Select the records you would like to include, the number of most recent images and whether you would like to include your comments and your answers to the medical history questions.  
  3. Tap 'Generate and Email Report' and fill out the email on the following screen.

Changing your password and logging out

Should you need to change your password you can do this easily by:
  1. Tapping the 'Change Password' button under the 'Profile Settings' tab. Enter you current password, new password and new password confirmation
  2. Tap 'Change Password' to submit.

To log out and change user, simply tap 'Change User' under the 'Profile Settings' tab.