Dermoscopy Club for Clinicians

The Dermoscopy Club will deliver training and a learning platform to support GPs and Clinicians who want to learn to use a dermatoscope in primary care as a diagnostic aid in the assessment of skin lesions. Dermoscopy is used in addition to good history taking and naked eye examination. More widespread use of dermoscopy in primary care is expected to enable effective recognition of common benign skin lesions and reduce the number of unnecessary dermatology referrals. It is expected that a majority or all of the sessions will be virtual.

What To Expect

• Using a wide range of teaching approaches, we will deliver high quality training to facilitate the learning of the participants in the learning club.

• We will provide regular feedback to the participants in the learning club throughout the sessions.

• We will conduct the training with a high quality of professionalism and courtesy in dealing with participants of the learning club.

• We will be committed to regular evaluation of the training materials based on feedback from the participants of the learning club.

What We Expect From Participants

• A commitment to all interactive activities in the learning club

• Inform the learning club facilitators of attendance issues

• Participants to be always courteous to other colleagues and facilitators to the learning club. Contribute towards a cohesive learning environment

• To provide feedback to the facilitator/presenters

Dermoscopy Club Audience

General Practitioners and Clinicians who have a dermatoscope or have an interest in Dermoscopy

• Never had a dermatoscope but are planning to get one

• Have a dermatoscope but don’t use it because they don’t know how

• Have a dermatoscope in the practice but haven’t had training

• Have been using a dermatoscope and would like to feel more confident with the basics

Dermoscopy Club Objectives

The Dermoscopy Club Aims:

• To provide a learning platform from the facilitators and contributors to teach participants how dermoscopy works & provide useful tips and advice.

• To teach how to take good Dermatology/Dermoscopy Photos and attach to an e-RS referral or for Advice & Guidance.

• To teach how to use personal mobile devices to take photos with appropriate GDPR consent as per guidelines from British Association of Dermatology.

• To demonstrate dermoscopy across a range of skin lesions and conditions.

• More specifically the aim is to help participants to:

  - Develop the skill using a dermatoscope to differentiate between melanocytic skin lesions and non-melanocytic lesions including Seborrhoeic Keratoses, Warts & Haemangioma, Dermatofibromas, Sebaceous Hyperplasia & Comedones.

  - Develop the skill in using a dermatoscope to differentiate between non-malignant skin lesions such as benign naevi, pre-malignant lesions such as actinic keratosis and Bowen’s disease and malignant skin lesions such as basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinoma/ keratoacanthoma and melanomas.

  - Develop the skill in using dermatoscope to help make management decision relation to pigmented skin lesions.

Ultimately culminating in:

• Improved GP confidence in assessing skin lesions.

• Higher proportions of 2WW suspected skin cancer having melanoma and SCC

• Lower numbers of 2WW suspected skin cancer referrals for common benign lesions which dermoscopy can help identify e.g. seborrheic keratosis and haemangioma.

Dermoscopy Club Structure

The club will be a virtual platform using Microsoft Teams to deliver the learning and teaching materials. The training is facilitated by GPwER Dermatology from Stellar Healthcare or contributions from consultant dermatologists in some sessions if need be. There will be 2 sessions a month starting from November 2025 and each session will be for a maximum 1.5 hours starting from 7pm each date. Sessions will include the application and use of personal mobile devices to take clinical and dermoscopic photos and the benefits of tele-dermatology. Sessions will be interactive including clinical cases and quizzes on dermoscopy.

Booking information:

How to apply for funding and apply for this course

Please complete the MS Form available at the following link: Funding Request MS Form

The Training Hub will review and respond to your funding request. If funding is approved, it will be your responsibility to book your place on the course you wish to attend, we will provide the instructions to do this. Applications will be reviewed in order of the course date (soonest courses first) and date received. If you have any questions, please contact us at hwetraininghub@nhs.net.

Please note, you will need to send us your booking confirmation within 1 week of your funding being approved as places are limited. Failure to do this will result in your funding being withdrawn and you will need to reapply.

Course cost

The approximate course per delegate is: £100

If your funding request is approved the Training Hub will cover the full cost of this course.