Early detection of skin cancer by family physicians: a pilot project.
BACKGROUND
Malignant melanoma is rising quickly in incidence and mortality rates. Family physicians (FPs) have been reported to lack confidence in diagnosing skin cancers.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine whether an educational intervention can improve FPs' abilities to diagnose skin cancers.


METHODS
The design was a prospective, randomized trial which included a skin cancer questionnaire, a video intervention, and a skin biopsy review.


RESULTS
Pre-intervention, FPs answered 57% of the questions correctly on the skin cancer questionnaire. Post-intervention, the video intervention group scored higher than did the control group. The video intervention group removed 10% fewer benign lesions and almost 3 times more malignant lesions compared with their pre-intervention biopsy rate. No findings were statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
An educational intervention may improve FPs' knowledge and diagnosis of skin cancer. Our results may guide future studies with larger sample sizes in developing a skin cancer continuing medical education (CME) course for FPs.
de Gannes
Gillian C
GC
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Ip
Janet L
JL
Martinka
Magdalena
M
Crawford
Richard I
RI
Rivers
Jason K
JK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001955:British Columbia; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014743:Videotape Recording