The art of examining some skin using a dermatoscope. All GP's in Fuddled Medic Land had one brought for them by the PCT. In constrast the hospital in Fuddled Medic Land had to raise money via the hospital league of friends so that the Dermatologists had some to use
They think that if they buy GPs the right tools they will be able to do the job cheaper than the hospital. They fail to appreciate that there is more to it than just having the right kit
ReplyDeleteI've just finished in Dermatology and although GP's can discover a great deal more with a Dermatoscope I have seen books in Dermatology 4 inches thick with hundreds, if not thousands of different images each indicating something different under a Dermatoscope. Too often in Dermatology I saw patients who have been waiting months to see a Dermatologist over a mole/blemish because their GP took one look the first time around under normal light / Dermatoscope and assumed by himself because a mole/blemish doesn't have the textbook look of a mm/bcc/scc then it must not be anything ofcourse! Then they go the second time / see another GP and finally get their dermatology refferal. Dermatoscopy is a skill and not something you can just pick up on the job, or can be taught in medical school, it's for dermatologists and should just stay that way, or get trained appropriatly to use them.
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