A skin cancer training programme: evaluation of a postgraduate training for family doctors

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a postgraduate skin cancer training programme in improving family doctors' levels of knowledge and clinical practice. Forty-one of 59 family doctors (69% consent) who enrolled in the training programme agreed to participate in its evaluation. Approximately half of the doctors were allocated to the 'intervention' group, and the others were in the 'waiting-list' control group. Pre- and post-test data were collected to assess changes in doctors' knowledge, perceived confidence and clinical practice. The training programme involved three sessions, including an information/education session, a practical session at the local Melanoma Unit, and a practical surgical procedures session. There were significant improvements in the proportion of (i) accurate diagnoses, which were made when lesions were presented on colour slides with an accompanying case history; (ii) lesions presented on colour slides in which the correct management of the lesion was identified; and (iii) doctors who felt very or extremely confident in their ability to advise patients on screening frequency, to advise patients on the signs of skin cancer, and to decide whether changes in lesions were malignant. The only improvement observed in the doctors' clinical practice was a significant increase from pre- to post-test in the proportion of pathology request forms on which a diagnosis of the specimen was attempted by doctors in the intervention group compared to those in the control group. The results of this study indicate that whilst significant improvements in knowledge are achievable through postgraduate programmes, clinical practice is much more difficult to change.