Evaluation of the MoleMate training program for assessment of suspicious pigmented lesions in primary care.

Background: Pigmented skin lesions or 'moles' are a common presenting problem in general practice consultations: while the majority are benign, a minority are malignant melanomas. The MoleMate™ system is a novel diagnostic tool which incorporates spectrophotometric intracutaneous analysis (SIAscopy) within a non-invasive scanning technique and utilises a diagnostic algorithm specifically developed for use in primary care. The MoleMate™ training program is a short, computer-based course developed to train primary care practitioners to operate the MoleMate™ diagnostic tool.Objectives: This pre-trial study used mixed methods to assess the effectiveness and acceptability of a computer-based training program CD-ROM, developed to teach primary care practitioners to identify the seven features of suspicious pigmented lesions (SPLs) seen with the MoleMate™ system.Method: Twenty-five practitioners worked through the MoleMate™ training program: data on feature recognition and time taken to conduct the assessment of each lesion were collected. Acceptability of the training program and the MoleMate™ system in general was assessed by questionnaire.Results: The MoleMate™ training program improved users' feature recognition by 10% (pre-test median 73.8%, p