Did you know that despite Australia being the skin cancer capital of the world, we only have around 600 dermatologists in the whole country? That’s one dermatologist for every 50,000 people! No wonder people are heading to their GP instead!
Would you be surprised to hear that dermatology presentations account for more than 15 % of all Australian GP consultations?
Despite having a population of 26.6 million sun-loving, outdoorsy citizens, Australia has a surprisingly low number of dermatologists. There are approximately 600 dermatologists currently practicing in Australia with fewer than 40 based in rural and regional areas. People can often wait years before they are able to access a public outpatient appointment with those living outside metro areas having to wait even longer.
In contrast, Australia has more than 31,000 registered GPs, presenting a significant opportunity to enhance and expand our range of dermatological care. The importance of GPs being equipped to manage dermatological presentations extends beyond their prevalence. GPs are frequently the first health professional to assess a minor skin concern. Skin manifestations are often the initial presentation of more serious systemic conditions such as cancer, where early recognition and treatment may dramatically improve long-term patient outcomes. Providing dermatology education to medical students both at under and post-graduate levels could increase GPs’ confidence when diagnosing and managing skin conditions.
A new MACH HSR research project headed by Dr Anneliese Willems aims to delve deeper into the implications for clinical practice and targeted dermatology education through qualitative methods. It seeks to understand how GPs manage skin conditions including when referrals are made, and will explore the factors facilitating dermatological care integration into routine practice. Findings will inform interventions based on the Theoretical Domains Framework to enhance GPs' diagnostic and management capabilities.
More information about current MACH HSR Projects can be found here: https://machaustralia.org/machsr/machsr-projects/