%0 Journal Article
%T Learning a novel technique to identify possible melanomas: are Australian general practitioners better than their U.K. colleagues?
%A Tony Watson
%A Fiona M Walter
%A Annabel Wood
%A Helen Morris
%A Per Hall
%A Simone Karner
%A Jon Emery
%J Asia Pacific Family Medicine
%D 2009
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1447-056x-8-3
%X Thirty GPs recruited from the Perth (Western Australia) metropolitan area completed the training program at a workshop held in March 2008. The accuracy and speed of their pre- and post-test scores were then compared with those of a group of 18 GPs (including 10 GP registrars) who completed a similar program at two workshops held in Cambridge (U.K.) in March and April, 2007.The median test score of the Australian GPs improved from 79.5% to 86.5% (median increase 5.5%; p < 0.001) while the median test score of the English GPs improved from 74.5% to 86.5% (median increase 9.5%; p < 0.001). The Australian GPs had significantly higher pre-test scores but there were no significant differences in post-test scores between the Australian and English GPs or between the GPs and GP registrars. There was no significant difference in scores between GPs with previous dermoscopy experience or dermatology training.Most of the SIAscopy£¿ features can be learnt to a reasonable degree of accuracy with this brief computer training program. Although the Australian GPs scored higher in the pre-test, both groups had similar levels of accuracy and speed in interpreting the SIAscopy£¿ features after completing the program. Scores were not affected by previous dermoscopy experience or dermatology training, which suggests that the MoleMate£¿ system is relatively easy to learn.In Australia, skin cancer is the most common cancer, with melanoma being the fourth most common registrable cancer after prostate, colorectal, and breast cancer [1]. In 2003, there were 9,524 new cases of melanoma ¨C a 14% increase in incidence since 1993 ¨C and 1,146 deaths (764 males and 382 females) [1]. The risk of developing melanoma before the age of 75 is 1 in 24 for males and 1 in 34 for females [1]; melanoma is the most common cancer in the 20 to 39 year old age group [2].Because the prognosis for melanoma is very good when lesions are excised 'early' (97.9% 10-year survival ¡Ü 0.75 mm Breslow thickness) and poor when
%U http://www.apfmj.com/content/8/1/3