Background: Videodermatoscopy (VD) is a useful device for supporting dermatologists in the distinction between benign and malignant lesions. However, only few patients have access to VD in daily practice.
Objectives: To investigate patient attitudes towards VD.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and June 2018. Patients were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire on the popularity of VD. Descriptive analysis was performed including contingency tables and χ2 tests to investigate associations between sociodemographic data and the popularity of VD.
Results: A total of 61.2% (123/201) of the patients had not heard of VD at the time of assessment or were unsure. Of the 38.8% of patients (78/201) who already knew of VD, 64.1% (50/78) reported that they had already been investigated by VD; 57.5% (111/193) were willing to pay an extra fee for VD. A high level of education and private insurance status had a statistically significant association with the popularity of VD (p = 0.036 and p = 0.026, respectively).
Conclusions: There was a strong information deficit, especially in patients with lower education and statutory health insurance. Nevertheless, the willingness to pay an extra fee for a VD-assisted skin examination was high. Dermatologists should actively offer and inform their patients about VD when performing skin cancer screening.
Keywords: Dermoscopy; Digital dermatoscopy; Skin cancer; Videodermatoscopy; Willingness to pay.
© 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.