A pilot study examining skin cancer education in an underserved population at a free skin cancer screening

International Journal of Women's Dermatology

Sarika Ramachandran, MD¹  Herbert B. Castillo Valladares, MD²  Alison K. Lee, MD, MHS³  Amanda Zhou, BS⁴  Shayan Cheraghlou, BA⁴ 

[1] Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, United States;Dermatology Department, UCSF, United States;Dermatology Dept, University of Michigan, United States;Yale School of Medicine, United States;

关键词: Skin cancer;    Access;    Uninsured;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Background: Minority populations are increasingly diagnosed with skin cancer and often in later stages with more aggressive subtypes. Objective: We sought to pilot a study to evaluate the effectiveness of providing a skin cancer screening and education module to address potential barriers to dermatologic care for an underserved population in New Haven, Connecticut. Methods: At a free clinic, voluntary adults (n = 24) waiting for a skin cancer screening were recruited and consented to participate. Participants completed a 16-question survey prior to the total body-skin examination and the educational module, as well as a survey after the examination. Results: Most participants were uninsured (79%) and Hispanic (71%). Pre- and postintervention surveys indicated significant increases in knowledge, risk awareness, and confidence for self-screening. Conclusion: This study establishes an effective public health education intervention to promote the prevention of skin cancer. A multicenter study with a larger sample size and longer follow-up period to assess knowledge retention could further address limitations in this initial pilot study.

【 授权许可】

Unknown