This Evidence Check examined primary prevention for skin cancer which can be delivered effectively in primary care. It also examined the main barriers and enablers for delivery of these preventive activities in primary care. The review included 25 studies published since 2014 addressing these issues; eight of these were conducted in Australia. Behavioural counselling was supported by good evidence; risk assessment and delivery of tailored information had some evidence for effectiveness; and new technologies are promising but do not yet have evidence support as of the time of the report (August 2022). Enablers included ease of understanding by patients and ease of use by clinicians within existing workflows (e.g. utilising waiting time for self-administered assessment); integration with early detection; and sharing successful programmes across jurisdictions. Barriers included unclear requirements and a lack of clinician confidence about counselling, limited availability of primary care services, and stresses on those services such as competing demands and priorities, and lack of time and incentives. The evidence base was mainly comprised of studies at a lower level of evidence (observational and descriptive), with only a few studies at a higher level (randomised controlled trials).

Citation

AK Smit, K Dunlop, N Singh, DL Damian, K Vuong, AE Cust. Primary prevention of skin cancer in primary care settings: an Evidence Check review brokered by the Sax Institute for the Cancer Institute NSW, 2022. doi:10.57022/qpsm1481

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