Conversion of a Validated Melanoma Risk Stratification Tool Into a Tablet-Based Patient Questionnaire for Targeted Melanoma Screening in Primary Care Settings: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Risk stratification can identify individuals in primary care settings who are at increased risk of developing melanoma.

Objective: Converting and implementing a validated risk stratification tool as a patient self-administered tablet-based survey.

Methods: Mackie risk stratification tool was transformed into a patient questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed in academic dermatologist practices by patients and dermatologists and revised to optimize sensitivity and specificity using physician assessment as gold standard. The optimized survey was administered before routine primary care visits during 2019 to 2021. High-risk patients were referred to dermatology. The number needed to screen (NNS), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value to identify a melanoma were calculated.

Results: Of the 7,893 respondents, 5,842 (74%) and 2,051 (26%) patients were categorized as low-risk and high-risk population, respectively. The NNS to identify 1 melanoma was 64 in the high-risk population.

Conclusion: Incorporating self-administered patient-risk stratification tools in primary care settings can identify high-risk individuals for targeted melanoma screening. Further studies are needed to optimize specificity and sensitivity in more targeted populations.