The effectiveness of an Internet-based tutorial in improving primary care physicians' skin cancer triage skills.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of an Internet-based skin cancer triage intervention for physicians.


METHODS
Physicians were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The 14 outcome measures included diagnosis and evaluation planning for malignant melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma.


RESULTS
Forty-six physicians (27 of 39 in the intervention group) completed the program. The intervention group scored significantly higher than did the control group in nine of 14 outcome measures; this improvement was maintained for five of the nine outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
The Internet intervention improved physicians' skin cancer diagnosis and evaluation planning test performances.
Gerbert
Barbara
B
Division of Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco 94117, USA. gerbert@itsa.ucsf.edu
Bronstone
Amy
A
Maurer
Toby
T
Berger
Timothy
T
McPhee
Stephen J
SJ
Caspers
Nona
N
D000328:Adult; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014218:Triage