Pigmented Skin Lesion Service

Dr Greg Canning

 

The Pigmented Skin Lesion Service – offers a diagnostic opinion with dermoscopy and a full report including images and a management recommendation for equivocal skin lesions. It is designed to assist those doctors who don’t use dermoscopy for the evaluation of pigmented skin lesions or those with who do, but would like a second opinion from a colleague with additional training and experience in Dermoscopy. Dr Canning holds the Master of Medicine in Primary Care Skin Cancer Medicine (UQ), the International Diploma of Dermoscopy with Distinction (Graz), and has coordinated as well as authored 2 modules of the Australian Diploma in Dermoscopy offered through the Skin Cancer College of Australia and New Zealand.

All that is needed is a brief note indicating the lesion (s) on which you require a report. The report is provided on a compact disc with JPEG image files and a PDF file for import into the patient’s clinical record. A hard copy paper report can be printed if required. You can view a sample report here. 

The fee for this service depends on the number of lesions being reported. For a single lesion a Level B VR GP private consultation fee is charged, currently this Fee is $60.00 of which $33.55 is refunded by Medicare. Reduced frees apply for Aged Pensioners $45 and other HCC Holders $50. For each additional lesion the fee is $10/ per lesion for which there is no Medicare rebate.

Referring practitioners are requested to add Dr Canning as a “copy to” recipient for any reported lesions that undergo biopsy. This information will allow us to maintain an audit of the diagnostic accuracy for the referral service using the Skin Cancer College of Australia and New Zealand Clinical Audit. Dr Canning has used this audit for his private practice since Jan 2008 and a copy of the report for the 14 month period till end Feb 2009 is available here.

This is strictly a consultative service and all patients will be returned to the referring Doctor for any necessary management.