More GPs needed to keep melanoma care equitable across Queensland
Source: Insight Plus, October 2023
While access to invasive melanoma health care is fairly equitable across Queensland, people in regional areas are relying more on public hospitals for treatment rather than GPs or skin cancer specialists.
New research has found that while people across Queensland have reasonable access to skin cancer checks, people in more remote areas are more likely to be admitted to public hospitals for skin cancer-related conditions.
The research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, suggests improving access to general practitioners who can perform skin cancer surgery and surveillance in regional areas could improve health outcomes and reduce the need for hospital care.