Identifying Patients At Risk for Melanoma in an Aesthetic Practice.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Dermatology

Background:

• Melanoma skin cancer deaths are projected to increase in the US, highlighting the need for early detection strategies.
• Current guidelines lack universal recommendations for skin cancer screening, potentially leading to delayed diagnoses outside dermatology.
• Limited literature exists on melanoma risk stratification in non-dermatology settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the identification of individuals at risk for melanoma within a medical aesthetic practice.
• To address the gap in melanoma risk assessment in non-dermatology clinical environments.

Main Methods:

• A literature search identified 8 relevant articles on melanoma risk screening in general practice.
• The Plan-Do-Study-Act model was employed for project execution.
• Patients completed a Self-Assessment Melanoma Risk Score questionnaire; at-risk individuals received screenings or referrals.

Main Results:

• Out of 211 participants, 26% (55 patients) were identified as at-risk for melanoma.
• The intervention successfully identified at-risk individuals, improving the quality of patient care.

Conclusions:

• Implementing melanoma risk assessment in medical aesthetic practices can effectively identify at-risk patients.
• Future plans include integrating the risk assessment tool into electronic medical records and enhancing patient education.