Visual Aids in Patient Education: Bridging Gaps in Skin Disease Recognition and Care

Throughout their medical training, dermatologists and other health practitioners undergo extensive training in identifying skin conditions and diagnosing lesions based on appearance. However, effective patient treatment relies on patients’ ability to first recognize abnormalities in their skin and seek care. Prior studies indicate that patients lacking awareness of skin changes associated with melanoma are more likely to delay seeking medical treatment, suggesting that increased education might help reduce these delays in care¹.

Visible illness is an area of medicine that lends itself well to the creation of accessible patient education tools. With the increased use of the internet for health information, a significant portion of patient education now occurs outside the clinic². As patients increasingly seek out virtual medical educational materials, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of these resources is crucial. The development of reliable visual aids for patient education is especially important for patients with low health literacy, as prior epidemiologic research has demonstrated that individuals with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to seek health information online³.

Photographic indices, such as those in VisualDx, can serve as a valuable tool not only for healthcare providers but also for patient education. Utilizing these images in clinics or public health campaigns can contribute to comprehensive education about a patient’s condition. This, in turn, can enhance patients’ ability to assess the risk of suspicious lesions and danger signs, prompting them to seek care when necessary.

Additionally, targeted educational interventions tailored to specific populations might help narrow disparities in care, particularly for underserved patients for whom medical care is less accessible. For example, prior studies suggest that there are disparities in rural cancer care, with higher melanoma mortality rates in rural areas⁴.

Visual aids like VisualDx can be used to educate rural patients about their exposure-specific risks of melanoma. They may also support public health initiatives aimed at reducing this risk by encouraging the use of sun protection and sunscreen.

Furthermore, these visual aids can address misconceptions about skin disease in minority patients. Studies have demonstrated that Black patients often perceive themselves as having a low risk of melanoma, which can result in a lower likelihood of performing self-skin exams^5,6. Clinical photographs depicting the unique manifestations of melanoma in dark-skinned patients can emphasize the importance of self-exams and timely access to care, potentially minimizing these disparities. This is especially important as research has shown that Black patients have a higher incidence of melanoma and lower survival rates compared to white patients⁷.

Overall, incorporating visual aids in patient education can facilitate better understanding and care for skin diseases like melanoma. By acknowledging the critical role patients play in their dermatologic care, healthcare teams can use accessible medical educational tools like VisualDx to bridge gaps in knowledge, empowering patients to make informed decisions about their health and reducing disparities in care for vulnerable populations.

References

1. Oliveria, Susan A., et al. “Patient Knowledge, Awareness, and Delay in Seeking Medical Attention for Malignant Melanoma.” Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, vol. 52, no. 11, 1999, pp. 1111-1116. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0895-4356(99)00083-9.
2. Berkman, Nancy D., et al. “Low Health Literacy and Health Outcomes: An Updated Systematic Review.” Annals of Internal Medicine, vol. 155, 2011, pp. 97-107. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-155-2-201107190-00005.
3. Rice, Ronald E. “Influences, Usage, and Outcomes of Internet Health Information Searching: Multivariate Results from the Pew Surveys.” International Journal of Medical Informatics, vol. 75, 2006, pp. 8-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2005.07.032.
4. Zafar, Faisal S., et al. “Rural Health Disparities in Melanoma Staging and Prognostic Outcomes in Iowa.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, vol. 84, no. 6, 2021, pp. 1727-1730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2020.08.092.
5. Robinson, June K., et al. “Melanoma Knowledge, Perception, and Awareness in Ethnic Minorities in Chicago: Recommendations Regarding Education.” Psycho-Oncology, vol. 20, no. 3, 2011, pp. 313-320. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1736.
6. Buster, Kimberly J., et al. “Skin Cancer Risk Perceptions: A Comparison across Ethnicity, Age, Education, Gender, and Income.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, vol. 66, no. 5, 2012, pp. 771-779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2011.05.021.
7. Shaikh, Rehan, and Vernon E. Huckfeldt Jr. “Educational Intervention and Melanoma Prognosis in Black People.” Cureus, vol. 15, no. 11, 2023, e49527. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.49527.