Derm Access:: A new triage system to rapidly identify suspicious skin lesions

BACKGROUND Many screening programs have been implemented for the general population; however, dermatology appointment wait times continue to be long. Changes in scheduling would allow patients with suspicious skin lesions access to more immediate care. OBJECTIVES The objective was to introduce a method for decreasing dermatology appointment wait times to allow patients with a high-risk skin lesion to be seen in a more efficient manner. METHODS A telephone screening method was developed to allow for the most suspicious lesions to be seen within 72 hours if the patient wished to do so; appointment time slots were left open in physician schedules to accommodate these patients; and wait time, procedure, and treatment data were collected and compared against national wait time data. RESULTS A total of 233 patients were seen during this study. A total of 146 of these patients were diagnosed with a cancerous or precancerous lesion. This was 63% of the total study population. The mean wait time in actual working days was 7.44 for this same period. CONCLUSION This program substantially decreased patient anxiety, increased patient satisfaction, increased public relations for the practice, and increased public awareness of skin cancer. The Derm Access strategy can be implemented in any practice to reduce wait times for suspicious skin lesions.