New Patient FAQ s www.skincheckwa.com.au Ph: 08 9271 2522 info@skincheckwa.com.au How is your clinic / service different to a GP clinic? We are a dedicated skin clinic with specialized equipments and staff. We only deal with skin and skin cancer. Do I need a referral? You do not require a referral. However please bring along the referral if you have one from your GP. Are procedures and biopsied done on the same day? Most partial sampling biopsies are done on the same day. Larger biopsies that require suturing may be done on procedure days with nurse support. How experienced are the doctors? A: We have doctors with different interests on our team. Some of us are involved in skin checks and biopsies for lower risk individuals, other doctors specialise and work only on complex surgical procedures for more difficult skin cancers. Our doctors work as a team, and if an advanced skin cancer is found, a few doctors may be involved in your care. What happens in a skin check? In a full skin check you will need to remove clothing but keep undergarments on. Your skin is examined in detail with various lighting and digital video dermatoscopes, from head to toe.
If certain suspicious lesions are detected, more detailed digital images are taken and magnified for further assessment. If this assessment points to a risk of this lesion being a skin cancer, a superficial biopsy may be recommended. This can be done at the time. A full excision is scheduled for a later date. Can I wear make up or fake tan before an appointment? Any make up, foundation or fake tan can decrease the accuracy of the examination. Plain moisturiser is generally acceptable. Please refrain from wearing any makeup or nail polish before an appointment. Is it safe for a skin check if I am pregnant? Yes, we do not use any devices that pose a risk to pregnancy. If surgery is required, the doctor will have a detailed discussion with you about the pros and cons of delaying a procedure. Can I just have a spot check? Yes, if you are only concerned about a new or changing spot, please let us know and we will generally fit you into an earlier appointment. A new or changing spot may be the beginning of a skin cancer. However, we recommend that a full skin check be done at least yearly. What are your fees? We work on having a fixed out of pocket cost for skin checks. Depending of your skin condition and any tests, the fee may be higher on the day but you will also get a higher medicare rebate so your out of pocket cost is the same. Just bring your EFTPOS card, and we will arrange for an instant Medicare rebate back to your card. Cryotherapy ( freezing) and simple shave biopsies that can be done on the day do not incur additional out of pocket fees. Skin cancer surgery are performed on separate days and will incur additional fees.
All pathology tests and biopsies are bulk billed for current medicare card holders with no additional cost to you. Do you bulk bill? Yes, we bulk bill the following: Aged pensioner ( aged 65+ on aged pensions) Veterans ( gold card holder or white card that covers skin cancers) Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders (can qualify if aged 65+ and earns less than $50,000 per year) Why don t you bulk bill everyone? Unfortunately for us to provide a good service, we need to spend time with our patients and to invest in the latest equipment. The Bulk Billing rebate is about half of the standard fees, and therefore we are not able to bulk bill everyone at this stage. I am not covered by Medicare ( eg. overseas visitors). I have BUPA / Medibank private / other Australian health fund cover. Do I get a rebate from the health fund? If your health fund covers your normal GP visits, then it will normally cover your visits here. However, you will need to pay up front and claim back directly from your fund. Their rebates may be different to medicare. Please note that there will be costs from the pathology company if a biopsy or procedure is required. Are you also a GP clinic? Sorry, we are 100% dedicated to skin cancer detection and treatment only. I have been told that I might have a skin cancer. Can you cut out a suspected cancer for me? How are you different from a GP surgery? Depending on what type of skin cancer it is, the doctors will recommend different procedures, to achieve a balance of cure, and optimal cosmetic result. In almost all cases, two layer suturing are used to give additional strength and special scar reduction
silicon gel is used afterwards to optimise your scar. Sometimes in superficial skin cancers we can use other treatments without suturing. Can I just come in for a procedure without a check? We do not recommend it unless the lesion has already been examined carefully and a biopsy result is available. We always perform a biopsy first to avoid unnecessary surgery and scars. Some lesions and skin cancers can also be removed without surgery. Others may need more complicated procedures that you should have the chance to discuss first before you go ahead. What happens if a skin cancer is found? Once the biopsy confirms our suspicion of a skin cancer, then we will provide you with all the treatment options. Often simpler treatments such as curettage and topical medication cream are suitable to treat early superficial skin cancers. If surgery is required, you can choose to have it performed at our procedure rooms on site. Do you do mole scans? We do mole scans and mole checks plus more! Close to 70% of melanomas actually occur away from existing moles, and there are special types of melanomas that can look like pimples or may be colourless. Other skin cancers can also look like a patch of dermatitis. Therefore we do a complete skin check as well as examine your moles. Should I have my skin checked in winter? Autumn and winter are a great time to have your skin checked, as the summer tan has subsided and the skin has returned to a more natural colour. If sun damage is found, autumn and winter are also the preferred time for specialised treatment where sun avoidance is more practical. I am going away on holiday, should I get my skin checked before or after? If you are going away for an extended trip ( more than 1 month) and you have a new or changing spot, it is preferable you have it checked before your trip. Some skin cancers can grow within weeks.
Do you record every mole on my body? In a standard appointment we are not able to record all the moles. Total body photography are only recommended for very high risk individuals. It will take 60 minutes each visit and should be repeated at least every 3 6 months indefinitely. It is very costly if done properly as every body area should be compared with the last image. We prefer to act on suspicious moles rather than wait for them to become advanced skin cancers. Where the lesion is not suitable for biopsy at the time, we will do limited monitoring or selected lesions. This is called Sequential Digital Dermoscopy Imaging (SDDI) I am scared of needles. This is a very common scenario and frankly, no one likes having injections. You will be glad to know that we have developed techniques and use special local anaesthetic mixtures that cause reduced discomfort. For a biopsy, it is equivalent to a flu vaccination. Let us know if you have had a bad experience with procedures previously. Our staff will take extra care of you. More questions? Please email us at info@skincheckwa.com.au and we will try our best to assist you.