title: The patient journey: a report of skin cancer care across Europe.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are poorly documented variations in the journey a skin cancer patient will follow from diagnosis to treatment in the European Union.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possible difficulties or obstacles that a person with a skin malignancy in the European Union may have to overcome in order to receive adequate medical screening and care for his/her condition. In addition, we wished to explore differences in European health systems, which may lead to health inequalities and health inequities within Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten European countries took part in this investigation (in alphabetical order): Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Romania, Spain, the Netherlands and the U.K. The individual participants undertook local and national enquiries within their own country and completed a questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This exercise has identified important differences in the management of a skin cancer patient, reflecting major disparities in health care between European countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further investigation of health disparities and efforts to address health inequalities should lead to improvements in European health care quality and reduction in morbidity from skin cancer.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Papageorgiou Hospital, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece. mtrakatelli@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trakatelli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siskou
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authors.lastname: Proby
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Tiplica
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authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hinrichs
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Altsitsiadis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitsou
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrandiz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aquilina
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Apap
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiorentini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magnoni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Flohil
authors.forename: K
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authors.lastname: Kalokasidis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moreno-Ramirez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruiz-de-Casas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Majewski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ranki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pitkänen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Saksela
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ioannides
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sotiriadis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stockfleth
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003880:Dermatology; D016527:Drug Costs; D005062:European Union; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000600:supply & distribution; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D000078329:Workforce
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003879:Dermatologic Agents