General practitioners' workload after skin cancer/melanoma screening clinics in The Netherlands.
We studied the workload of the general practitioner after two skin cancer screening clinics in the Netherlands. Thirty-one physicians participated in the project. The numbers of patients presenting with benign and malignant skin lesions were recorded 2 weeks before and 6 weeks after the public campaigns. In the week immediately after the screening there was a small increase in the number of consultations for suspected skin cancer. Thereafter, the weekly number of malignant lesions decreased to precampaign levels. Subsequently to the campaigns the numbers of referrals for benign skin lesions decreased slightly. We conclude that the extra workload for the general practitioner generated by the screening campaigns has been negligible.
Department of Dermatology, Sint Anna Hospital, Oss, The Netherlands.
F H
FH
Rampen
P J
PJ
Berretty
B E
BE
van Huystee
L A
LA
Kiemeney
C H
CH
Nijs
D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008545:Melanoma / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009426:Netherlands; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data