Dermatoscopic screening in family practice.
BACKGROUND
Screening for dermatologic lesions is important in primary care medicine and may be enhanced by magnified illuminated video images. Viewing skin lesions with a dermatoscopic instrument is very helpful in judging and evaluating their characteristics. Both patients and physicians benefit from the improved diagnostic yield, possible medical-legal protection, enhanced development of the patient-physician relationship, medical practice economic boost, and more efficient dermatologic screening. The higher magnification and illuminated view theoretically enables the physician to make better decisions and helps convince the patient to comply with recommended treatment.


METHODS
57 patients in a single private family practice were interviewed before receiving a visual dermatology screening examination. The physician then recorded his findings and suggested plan. Next, the physician performed a magnified video dermatologic examination and once again recorded his findings, plan, and impression of the patient's reaction to the recommendations and treatment.


RESULTS
57 patients with 79 examination sites demonstrated an increased confidence by both the physician and patient with the video examination over the traditional dermatologic examination. In addition, several changes in proposed treatment were noted following the video examination.


CONCLUSIONS
Both the patients and physician believed the magnified video dermatologic examination improved diagnostic accuracy and increased patient motivation to act on physician recommendations.
Hocutt
J E
JE
Thomas Jefferson University Medical School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Morgan
L O
LO
D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D007642:Keratosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008403:Mass Screening; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D014741:Video Recording