Addressing Melanoma Screening Disparities in Low Income Rural Communities (Preprint)

Abstract

UNSTRUCTURED The incidence of melanoma is increasing worldwide. Yet there is little effort in patient education for those in rural areas. Many of these patients lack both the resources and level of education needed for understanding skin cancer screening and prevention. Therefore, we are introducing a melanoma screening tool that can be distributed at free clinics and other healthcare access points within these communities. This will allow patients to perform self-screenings for lesions that might otherwise be missed. This tool is a small card that contains information on how to use it with the hopes that the patient would vocalize any skin concerns during their next interaction with a general healthcare practitioner. This would allow for early melanoma detection which can save lives