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Acknowledgement of Country

In the spirit of reconciliation, CheckUP acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website contains images or names of people who have passed away.

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Queensland Mental Health Week

Who we are

CheckUP works with partner organisations and health providers to create healthier communities and reduce health inequities through a range of initiatives.

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Partner with us

There are so many ways you can support the work of CheckUP and our vision of better health for the people and communities that need it most.

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Read the latest news and publications from CheckUP.

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Skin Cancer Early Detection Service

Skin Cancer Early Detection Service

The Skin Cancer Early Detection Service aims to create fairer access to professional assessment and treatment of skin cancer for people who have a skin cancer risk.

Queensland has the highest rate of both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers in the world.

Skin Cancer Early Detection (the Service) is a pilot Outreach service funded by the Queensland Government, delivered in priority Hospital and Health Services (HHSs) in Queensland.

The Service works closely with each HHS and other local stakeholders to deliver skin cancer services in rural, regional, and remote locations where such services are limited or non-existent.

The Service is one of three elements of a Skin Cancer Prevention and Early Detection initiative. Other elements are a multi-year state-wide social marketing campaign promoting sun-safe behaviours and local health promotion activities.

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Priority areas

The Service will be delivered in South West HHS, Central Queensland HHS, Mackay HHS, Townsville HHS and North West HHS.

The initiative will provide clinical services and information provision.

Skin cancer risk assessments

Clinical skin assessments (i.e. dermoscopy)

Treatment of skin cancers (i.e. cryotherapy, biopsy and excision)

Patient education on individual skin cancer risk and prevention.

Objectives
Objectives

The project’s objectives are to:

  • provide outreach health services focused on the early prevention, detection and treatment of skin cancers.
  • facilitate linkages and referral pathways for patients with skin cancer.
  • provide upskilling for the local workforce engaged through this program, to build ongoing capacity and expert knowledge of skin cancer in local health practitioners.

Funding eligibility

The Service funds outreach services provided by specialists and General Practitioners with evidence of training and/or experience in skin cancer early detection, including but not limited to relevant accreditations awarded by Skin Cancer College Australasia, Healthcert and/or mentorship.

Skin cancer clinical practice guidelines

The Australian Government Department of Health commissioned and funded Cancer Council Australia to undertake the current revision and update of the skin cancer clinical practice guidelines. You can access the current guidelines on the Cancer Council website.

Access the guidelines

Additional resources

On advice from consumer representatives on the Advisory Committee for the Skin Cancer Early Detection outreach service, a Support Services information sheet has been developed for patients of the Queensland Government funded program. Developed in consultation with Melanoma Patients Australia and Cancer Council Queensland, this resource will be made available to those attending outreach clinics, together with the Cancer Council’s ‘Spot the Difference’ fact sheet and ‘Correct Sunscreen Application’ brochure.

Support services information sheet

Evaluation

By partnering with health consumers and their communities alongside health service providers, CheckUP encourages and supports patients to participate in improving the appropriateness, timeliness, cultural safety, effectiveness and efficiency of services delivered to them through completing the patient reported experience measure (PREM) survey. Focusing on measuring what matters to patients and providing patient centred quality improvement recommendations back to service providers.

The Skin Cancer Early Detection (SCED) Program Patient Reported Measure

As part of CheckUP’s commitment to ensuring services meet patient needs in appropriate ways, a new patient feedback survey has been developed in collaboration with the SCED project’s Steering Committee and Advisory Committee.

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