Impact of a Short Audiovisual Intervention on Skin Cancer Diagnostic Accuracy in Medical Professionals: A Continuing Medical Education Approach

Background: The incidence of skin cancer continues to rise, and early detection of suspicious lesions is essential to reducing morbidity, mortality, and psychological and aesthetic impact on patients. Healthcare professionals' ability to identify and classify skin lesions is critical in this process, and continuous medical education- particularly through audiovisual tools- has the potential to improve public health outcomes related to skin cancer. Methods: This study used a pre-post-controlled design to assess changes in diagnostic accuracy following a brief audiovisual educational intervention. A digital atlas containing real images of skin cancer-related and non-cancerous lesions was created for the intervention. Results: The study included 84 participants (54.76% female, median age 26). Most were general physicians (36.9%), followed by medical students (32.15%) and residents (22.62%). Before the intervention, 46.43% rated their ability to identify skin lesions as intermediate, and 23.81% rated it as poor. The baseline correct classification rate for malignant lesions was 83.33%, and correct diagnostic selection for skin cancer was 51.85%. After the intervention, these rates increased to 88.89% and 66.67%, respectively. The improvement was most notable in students, interns, and general physicians (increase >20%), and among those with lower pre-intervention self-perceived diagnostic ability. Conclusion: Brief audiovisual educational interventions- particularly those suitable for dissemination through social media- can significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy of medical students and healthcare professionals in identifying skin cancer lesions. Level of evidence: Not gradable.