Sun prevention and information technology

The study was carried out in Capri during the summer of 2006. The data concerning UV irradiance were regularly recorded over the entire period of the study describing the numerical index of UV radiation intensity (UVI).5 A total of 450 tourists answered a questionnaire containing personal information regarding sex, age, eye colour, hair colour, phototype, sunscreen used and sunbathing time. The MED was measured by the Skin Analyser Q Tan. After the MED examination, the staff of dermatologists created a card (record) for each volunteer examined, which contained information about their photosensitivity. During sun exposure the volunteers examined at the dermatologic centre were informed directly through their mobile phones by SMSs, about the optimal UV dose for their skin, an estimate of the residual exposure time and the protection factor of the sunscreen they needed according to UVI units registered. The information released by mobile phone was based on the correlation of daily UVI registered by the experimental set-up and the individual photosensitivity, thus obtaining an estimate of the maximum exposure time expressed in minutes to prevent sunburn. These values were reached on the basis of the effective erythemal dose (DE) expressed in MED/h using the following algorithm ST ¼ 60/DE. Therefore, in a typically sunny August day with a UVI equal to 6 (2.6 MED/h), a phototype I or II at his/her first sun exposure would develop a sunburn after about 20 min, while in a moderately pigmented subject, this would take some hours (Table 1). This campaign aimed to capture the attention of young people by an experimental photodermatology service and to promote preventive care through a system of customized UVI teledosimetry using information technology such as mobile phones, keen to young people. This pilot study could represent an example of cooperation between information technology and clinicians using information technology in the field of photoprotection and can suggest further research development to optimize the sun prevention devices