[Podcast] Why and how to integrate skin cancer services to your GP practice | Conversations with Prof David Wilkinson

Welcome to the first podcast in the HealthCert series on medical business management, Conversations with Professor David Wilkinson! In this opening episode, Prof David Wilkinson (Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University) speaks with Paul Elmslie (Founder and CEO of HealthCert Education and the National Skin Cancer Centres) about all things related to setting up and running effective skin cancer services in the primary care setting.

In the podcast, Paul covers how medical practitioners might go about setting up skin cancer services in an existing general practice setting or subspecialised clinic.

Paul talks about what an ideal skin cancer service might look like, focusing on how to achieve early diagnosis and management of skin cancer and having conversations with patients in primary care about their skin cancer risk. He also discusses the differences between standalone skin cancer facilities versus skin cancer services delivered within a general practice, and how this has changed over the years.

When providing skin cancer care within general practice, Paul recommends setting aside a dedicated block of time each week in which you only perform skin checks, biopsies and treatments, in order to streamline the services.

David and Paul also discuss the importance of GPs having the competence and confidence to pick up a dermatoscope and check any suspicious lesions incidentally noticed during patient consultations in mainstream general practice.

Listen to the full podcast now:

Professor David Wilkinson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University. He is a registered general practitioner and public health medicine specialist. Since 2004, Professor Wilkinson's clinical work has focused on skin cancer medicine in primary care. He has published research papers on the topic, designed and led development of the only Master of Medicine degree in skin cancer, and helped develop and present a suite of skin cancer short courses delivered by HealthCert Education.

Paul Elmslie is the Founder and CEO of HealthCert Education and the National Skin Cancer Centres. Paul is a pioneer of the subspecialised skin cancer clinic model and has built a network of dedicated skin cancer referral centres and training facilities across Australia. Paul has owned or operated about 28 skin cancer clinics in his 20+ years of experience.

Learn more in HealthCert's primary care certificate courses!