High- and Low-risk Actinic Keratosis Referrals to Secondary Care

Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC)

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Actinic Keratoses

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05976061

2020-2432

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates the implementation of the General Practitioners guidelines 'Suspicious Skin Lesions' and investigated whether their publication and implementation has led to a reduction in the proportion of referrals of low-risk patients with actinic keratosis to secondary care, after publication of the General Practitioners guidelines and implementation activities.

Full description

In the Dutch healthcare system, patients are first examined by the general practitioner who decides whether a referral to a dermatologist is indicated. Both general practitioners and dermatologists can diagnose and treat patients with actinic keratosis. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish which patients the general practitioner should refer to a dermatologist and which patients are suitable to be treated by the general practitioner.

This retrospective data study evaluates the proportion of low risk actinic keratosis patients in 2019 en 2018.

Enrollment: 3,379 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• patients of 18 years and older
• referred to dermatologist for suspicion of actinic keratosis and diagnosed as actinic keratosis by the dermatologist
• treated at MaastrichtUMC+ or TergooiHospital

Exclusion criteria

• different diagnosis than actinic keratosis
• referred by a different specialist than the general practitioner
• referred with multiple problems
• referred for a second opinion
• if the patients was treated as different diagnosis than actinic keratosis by general practitioner

Trial design

3,379 participants in 2 patient groups

Low risk patients

Description:

Low risk actinic keratosis patients referred by the general practitioner and diagnosed as actinic keratosis by the dermatologist in 2018 and 2019.

High risk patients

Description:

High risk actinic keratosis patients referred by the general practitioner and diagnosed as actinic keratosis by the dermatologist in 2018 and 2019.