Integrated skin lesion recognition & dermoscopy course
5th year of this popular and successful course
13th March and 19th June 2015
An integrated and interactive course particularly suitable for GPs, trainees in
dermatology, surgery and elderly care, specialist nurses, practice nurses,
occupational health doctors and other health professionals. Equally suitable for
beginners and improvers: no prior knowledge or experience is assumed.
South Coast Dermoscopy Associates
Dr Stephen Hayes Specialty Doctor (former GPwSI) in Dermatology, Southampton
Dr Catriona Henderson Dermatologist, skin cancer lead, Southampton
Dr Birgit Pees Dermatologist, Southampton
<><><><><><><><><><><>
13th March and 19th June 2015 Holiday Inn, Fareham, Hampshire + e-learning
Friday afternoons 13.30-17.00
Hot buffet lunch from 12.30 and coffee included
Since we began this course in 2011 the UK skin cancer problem has got steadily worse. Despite hugely
increased numbers of urgent skin cancer referrals, significant cancers with typical features are still being
missed. Missed melanoma continues to be the number one reason for doctors in dermatology being
sued. Doctors who have done our course have fed back to us that they have picked up melanomas they
would otherwise have been missed while reducing their overall referral rates.
It is widely recognised that skin lesion recognition skills in Primary Care are variable and may be
inadequate. We attribute this to inadequate education and believe the answer is better lesion
recognition training, including in the now well proven technique of dermoscopy.
Our course is designed and delivered by an experienced former GPSI (SH, currently working as a specialty
doctor in lesion recognition) and 2 senior skin cancer specialists. Participants should gain excellent skin
lesion diagnostic skills, enabling them to safely reassure and advise the great majority of patients
worried about lesions which are harmless and refer questionable lesions to the right person first time
without delay.
The course was successfully run in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 with high levels of satisfaction from over
200 participants so far. We have improved the course following feedback. Approval sought for 7 hours
CME.
Dermoscopy (dermatoscopy, surface skin microscopy) is an internationally validated technique which is
increasingly seen as essential in the evaluation of pigmented and other skin lesions. Peer review
evidence as in the meta-analysis by Vestergaard et al (British Journal of Dermatology. 2008; 159:3548.) confirms that dermoscopy outperforms naked eye examination of pigmented skin lesions. A one day
dermoscopy course for GPs was shown to significantly reduce avoidable referrals while missing fewer
melanomas (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16622262).
Our course begins by stressing the natural history of common and important skin lesions, basics of
history taking, inspection and palpation of lesions before going on to what dermoscopy can add. The
provided learning material includes all presentations, 50 case discussions and PowerPoint presentations
of virtual clinics which go through the essentials of skin lesion recognition. This amounts to a virtual text
book of dermoscopy which should enable learning re-enforcement. You can work through these at your
leisure and claim additional learning credits for doing so.
Participants will join a private Google group for on line case discussions. Plain and dermoscopic lesion
images will be emailed out 2 or 3 times a week for interactive discussion guided by Dr Hayes. Learners
can raise any difficulties or questions and even post their own lesion images for discussion. We expect to
do at least 30 case discussions, covering all kinds of skin lesion which occur in UK practice.
SESSION 2 will recapitulate the whole course and discuss difficult cases and any particular learner issues
that come up in the case discussions, and finish with an interactive quiz.
Curriculum
1) Natural history and basic rules of recognition of benign and malignant skin lesions. What to do
before you pick up the dermoscope e.g. history, inspection, palpation.
2) Benign naevi. Natural history and development, various types, flat and raised moles. How to
make a safe and positive diagnosis of benignity. Various network and globular patterns, vessels
that point to benignity. Red flags and question marks
3) Seborrhoeic keratoses. Recognising their wide range of appearances. Dermoscopic features
which allow a safe diagnosis. Traumatised warts-the sheep in wolf’s clothing4) Haemangiomas, recognising their dermoscopic features.
5) Melanomas-the range of presentations. Red flag features not to miss. Key dermoscopic features
including abnormal networks, streaks, globules, blue grey veil, regression structures.
Hypopigmented and amelanotic melanomas, ‘featureless’ melanomas, the deadly and deceitful
pink nodule.
6) Basal cell cancers, vessels, pigmented structures, micro ulcers and other features.
7) Miscellaneous skin lesions including Bowen’s disease, dermatofibromas, scabies etc.
8) All presentations plus other material will be included on the memory drive. We decided to trust
you on this as we believe it will be a better learning experience, but must ask you to respect our
copyright on this material and hope it will enable you to reinforce learning after the course is
over. We don’t mind you using the presentations to train your professional colleagues in bona
fide, non profit in-house education but you must not publish, copy, distribute or use any part of
them in any other way.
We believe the above is a balanced and comprehensive curriculum which addresses all the important
Primary Care issues about skin cancer, but if other issues are raised they can be addressed.
For all enquiries contact Dr Stephen Hayes at stevehayes272@gmail.com
Learners may also be interested in my blog at www.dermoscopy.wordpress.com where case discussions,
links to other on line learning resources and details about the course may be found.
COST (fully inclusive) £200 for doctors, £120 for nurses if booked before 1st February 2015,
£250/£150 thereafter.
Industry sponsorship will be limited to a dermoscope and surgical equipment company only.
Refund on application less £30 admin fee if requested before 20 th February, none thereafter.
People who cannot make one or other of the Friday sessions and declare this at the time of
booking will receive £25 discount.
Cheque to South Coast Dermoscopy Associates, 96 Winchester Street, Botley, Hampshire SO30
2AA.
Dr Stephen Hayes
South Coast Dermoscopy Associates
APPLICATION FORM please type or write clearly
Dear Dr Stephen Hayes
I wish to apply for a place on the South Coast Dermoscopy Associates skin lesion and dermoscopy course
2015. I have read, understood and accept the above terms. In particular, I will not make any use
whatever of the images and other learning material in the memory drive or discussion group other than
as permitted above.
Name
Address
Email address
GMC/CNG number
If you are a nurse please state your place of work and employer
Position (e.g. GP, specialist registrar, specialist nurse etc.)
please tick one box. If applying for more than one person, please print multiple copies.
Doctor, early booker discount pre 1.2.15
£200
Nurse as above
£120
Doctor, post 1.2.15
£250
NUrse as above
£150
To reduce costs, a receipt will be sent by email and no reminders will be sent.
for directions see http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/fareham/soafa/hoteldetail