Supplementary Material for: Examining the Role of Estheticians in Skin Cancer Surveillance

Background: Melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer are significant causes of mortality. Previous studies regarding skin cancer education in non-medical professionals have shown increases in favorable attitudes and likelihood of approaching clients about concerning lesions with training. However, few studies have investigated the use of estheticians in skin cancer screening. Objectives: To develop an education course to train estheticians to recognize concerning lesions, to assess the baseline knowledge of estheticians toward skin cancer detection, and to determine the effect that our curriculum has on lesion detection. Methods: We administered an education course and corresponding cross-sectional surveys to estheticians to evaluate current knowledge and assess for improvements in attitudes and behaviors regarding skin cancer detection. Results: Of 504 estheticians, most estheticians (85%- 98%) indicated the correct level of concern for “extremely concerning” lesions on pre- and post-training surveys. Estheticians were more likely to recommend that their client see a medical professional if they previously attended a course on skin cancer (p=0.012) or had greater than one year of work experience (p&lt;0.001). After completion of the training module, most participants felt “very comfortable” suggesting that clients see a doctor for a suspicious lesion. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that estheticians are capable of indicating the appropriate level of concern for abnormal lesions. Estheticians may serve as a valuable screening partner for dermatologists in the detection of skin cancer.背景：黑色素瘤（melanoma）与非黑色素瘤皮肤癌（non-melanoma skin cancer）是致死性疾病的重要诱因。既往针对非医疗从业者开展的皮肤癌教育相关研究显示，经培训后，从业者会形成更积极的态度，并更主动地向客户提示可疑皮损（lesions）。但目前鲜有研究探讨美容师（estheticians）在皮肤癌筛查中的应用价值。 目标：本研究旨在开发一套教育课程，用于培训美容师识别可疑皮损；评估美容师在皮肤癌检测方面的基线知识水平；并验证本课程对皮损识别能力的提升效果。 方法：本研究对美容师实施了教育课程及配套横断面调查（cross-sectional surveys），以评估其当前的知识储备，并考察其在皮肤癌检测相关态度与行为层面的改善情况。 结果：在504名受访美容师中，分别有85%~98%的受试者在培训前后的问卷中，对"极度可疑"皮损给出了正确的关注度评级。既往参加过皮肤癌相关课程（p=0.012）或拥有1年以上从业经验（p<0.001）的美容师，更倾向于建议客户前往医疗机构就诊。完成培训模块后，绝大多数受试者表示"非常有信心"建议可疑皮损患者就医。 结论：本研究结果表明，美容师能够对异常皮损做出恰当的关注度判断。美容师可作为皮肤科医生（dermatologists）在皮肤癌筛查中的重要协作伙伴，发挥积极作用。