Melanoma risk assessment and management: a qualitative study among Australian general practitioners

Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world, and GPs have an essential role in screening and identifying risk. However, clinical guidelines have not allowed for melanoma risk prediction models due to a lack of evidence. So, how do GPs currently assess melanoma risk and manage patients with high risk?  A qualitative study analysed the responses of 20 GPs across Australia, most of whom were not based in metropolitan areas. Melanoma risk assessment and management by these GPs comprised a logical and clear flow consisting of five clinical process domains: patient selection, identification of individual melanoma risk factors, overall melanoma risk estimation, risk appropriate management, and lastly patient education. However, GPs differed during each stage of the decision-making pathway due to variation in analytical and intuitive processes. GPs were also open to the implementation of melanoma risk prediction models and shared ideas on how models could fit in the current workflow. The findings suggest that melanoma risk assessment and management in primary care could become more standardised, and highlighted the importance of potential risk prediction models integrating into the current decision pathways of each individual GP. Read the original article here.