[Social rights claims for malignant melanoma patients : Providing patient information in German dermatological...

Treatment of patients with malignant melanoma includes informing the patients about their rights regarding social/disability benefits. In particular, every patient has the right to rehabilitation treatment according to SGB V and IX (SGB: Sozialgesetzbuch; Social Security Code) and to an examination regarding the classification of the disability.

The present study examines the extent to which patients with invasive malignant melanoma are informed after initial diagnosis about their social rights to medical rehabilitation measures and the classification of disability.

In the course of a survey in 2014, n = 1800 German dermatological practices were contacted and provided a standardized questionnaire on several care-relevant questions, including the aforementioned ones.

Evaluable questionnaires were submitted by n = 424 practices. In all, 52% of dermatologists stated that they regularly provided information on the right to rehabilitation, 15% sometimes, 41% rarely or never. Furthermore, 44% of dermatologists regularly, 17% sometimes and 38% rarely or never informed their patients about the classification of disability. Relevant differences were found in regional comparisons.

Practicing dermatologists seem to transfer the information requirement to the clinics involved in the treatment. It would be beneficial if the information were also provided again by the dermatologists in private practice. In view of the known limited capacity to receive new information from patients with newly diagnosed melanoma, repeated counselling appears to be more patient-friendly.