Abstract
Background: Given the importance of counseling patients on UV radiation exposure, a Sunscreen, Protective Gear, and Avoidance (SPA) Questionnaire was developed to assess patients’ sun exposure and help physicians provide tailored counseling to their patients regarding safe sun protection practices. Materials and methods: Six Denver Veterans Affairs (VA) dermatology providers who were trained in using the questionnaire randomly selected patients in the Denver VA Dermatology clinic to pilot-test the questionnaire. Demographic information and responses were collected using the SPA Questionnaire. Results: 43/61 (70.5%) of patients answered “no” to at least one sun protection strategy. Of these 43 patients, 40 (93%) were provided with tailored counseling. Five out of six providers indicated that the questionnaire encouraged conversations about sun protection for skin cancer prevention. Conclusion: The SPA questionnaire is a simple measure of UV exposure risk, which can help clinicians determine the sun-protective behavior of patients and initiate dialogue to increase patient knowledge of sun protection practices.
Highlights
An effort has been made in dermatology to improve quality of care through the use of quality measures [1]
We developed a novel quality measure with the Sunscreen, Protective Gear, and Avoidance (SPA) Questionnaire, with the primary goal of providing rapid in office screening for sun protective behavior
The SPA questionnaire may function as a quick in office screening tool for sunscreen protective behavior similar to a CAGE questionnaire for evaluating alcohol dependence or mini-mental status exam for assessing cognitive impairment
Summary
An effort has been made in dermatology to improve quality of care through the use of quality measures [1] These measures serve as a means of assessing the quality at which physicians provide care to their patients. We developed a novel quality measure with the Sunscreen, Protective Gear, and Avoidance (SPA) Questionnaire, with the primary goal of providing rapid in office screening for sun protective behavior. The SPA questionnaire helps providers ensure their patients receive tailored counseling based on their sun exposure. Given the importance of counseling patients on UV radiation exposure, a Sunscreen, Protective Gear, and Avoidance (SPA) Questionnaire was developed to assess patients’ sun exposure and help physicians provide tailored counseling to their patients regarding safe sun protection practices. Results: 43/61 (70.5%) of patients answered “no” to at least one sun protection strategy Of these 43 patients, 40 (93%) were provided with tailored counseling. Conclusion: The SPA questionnaire is a simple measure of UV exposure risk, which can help clinicians determine the sun-protective behavior of patients and initiate dialogue to increase patient knowledge of sun protection practices
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