Abstract
ABSTRACT: In the United States, very few young people use adequate or any sun protection (American Cancer Society, 2013). Skin cancer rates are rising, engendering significant costs to the public and healthcare systems. Despite efforts to educate the public on the harms of excessive ultraviolet radiation, personal sun protection practices have improved very little in recent years (American Cancer Society, 2013). Further interventions and innovations are needed to reach and engage vulnerable segments of the population in behavior change to improve sun protection practices. The United States Preventative Task Force has recommended sun protection counseling for the 10- to 24-year age group and is likely to achieve modest net benefit (Moyer, 2012). One innovation that may have implications for more widespread intervention is the use of mHealth applications to encourage and educate the properly motivated user on proper sun protection practices (Abroms, Padmanabhan, & Evans, 2012). These mHealth applications have the potential to benefit the educational program of a private dermatology practice. The introduction of this type of innovation will require careful implementation planning to incorporate the educational tool seamlessly into the current workflow.