Instructional film helped students to bolster melanoma knowledge

Source: Healio Dermatology, December 2013

Medical students significantly improved their knowledge of melanoma and confidence in performing skin cancer examinations after viewing a novel instructional film, according to recent study results. Skin cancer examination (SCE) methodology was incorporated into a 14-minute film entitled, “The Integrated Skin Exam” (ISE). Second-year students (n=1,138) from eight US medical schools were randomly assigned to three study arms: exposure to education interventions, baseline and postexposure questionnaires, and baseline and postexposure long-term assessment through observed structured clinical examinations. Analysis was conducted on pre- and post-questionnaire data collected from 817 students in six of the schools. Improved melanoma knowledge, including identification of high-risk groups (61% vs. 42.9%), high-risk anatomic sites in women and men (88.6% vs. 46.5% and 92.1% vs. 34.8%, respectively) and the ABCDEs of melanoma (98.4% vs. 91.2%) were reported by a greater proportion of the students after viewing the film compared with before the film (P<.001 for all). Students agreed or strongly agreed they felt confident performing SCE after watching the film, compared with beforehand (66.93% vs. 16.40%), as well as being somewhat or very likely to integrate SCE into a patient’s routine physical examination (99.05% vs. 13.9%; P<.001 for both). When compared with pre-film results, a greater proportion of students thought less than 3 minutes were required to integrate SCE into the physical exam (41.9% vs. 70.4%; P<.001).

“We have developed and evaluated a novel film … that addresses gaps in knowledge related to melanoma and in practice of the SCE,” the researchers concluded. “In this film, we have also introduced the ISE concept, which motivates students pursuing any specialty to integrate a feasible practice of the SCE in the future. “We recommend that the ISE concept be reinforced through viewing the booster during an ambulatory clerkship in which students have multiple opportunities to practice the examination.”

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.