Reports by patients and dermatologists of skin cancer preventive services provided in dermatology offices.
OBJECTIVE
To learn how often patients receive skin cancer preventive services in dermatologists' offices.


METHODS
Survey of dermatology patients and dermatologists.


METHODS
Dermatology practices of full-and part-time faculty at a midwestern medical school.


METHODS
Patients were randomly selected from clinical sessions of 11 dermatologists. Of 200 patients enrolled, 162 (81%) responded to the survey. Ten (91%) of the dermatologists responded, and 4 additional dermatologists from the faculty were also surveyed.


METHODS
Patients' and dermatologists' reports of the provision of skin cancer prevention counseling and screening for skin cancer.


RESULTS
Most patients (93%) had been informed about the risks of sun exposure, but for only 27% was a dermatologist the main source of information. Although 76% of patients had seen a dermatologist at least twice in the last 5 years, only 34% reported that they had ever received a total-body screening examination for skin cancer. Most patients (55%) would like to learn more about skin cancer prevention, and responded that they would learn best from a brochure (43%) or from a dermatologist (42%). All dermatologists believed that some skin cancer preventive services should be provided to each patient, but they varied widely in the proportion of their white adult patients to whom they provided such services. For example, with respect to counseling about sunscreens, the same number of dermatologists (4 [29%]) responded that they counsel 25% or less of their patients, and more than 75% of their patients.


CONCLUSIONS
There is wide variation in how often skin cancer preventive services are provided in dermatologists' offices.
Polster
A M
AM
School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA. mmchren@orca.ucsf.edu
Lasek
R J
RJ
Quinn
L M
LM
Chren
M M
MM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003880:Dermatology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits; D009820:Ohio; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*