Melanoma Task Force (META) Project in Italy: methodology

A nationwide survey of the diagnostic-therapeutic models used in Italian hospitals for the treatment of melanoma was performed. The study was conducted using paper-assisted personal interviews in hospitals throughout the country [De Vaus DA: Surveys in Social Research, ed 4. London, Routledge, 1995]. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by interviewers specialized in medical research. These 45-minute interviews took place in the office/clinic of the interviewee, during which the interviewer compiled and checked questionnaires for completeness and accuracy. In each hospital, clinicians responsible for the diagnosis, therapy or follow-up phases of melanoma care were interviewed according to their area of expertise. When possible, interviewees included a dermatologist, a surgeon and an oncologist from each hospital.