SCARD Surgical Audit CPD Program Details

To participate in the SCARD Surgical Audit CPD Program, practitioners can enroll via the “CPD Enrolment” option in the “Preferences” menu on their SCARD Dashboard.

If you are a medical practitioner without an existing SCARD account, please register for a free audit with SCARD. Please note that registrations must be validated by the supervising practitioner before activation.

By participating in the SCARD audit, practitioners can determine the indicators listed below and perform a comparative analysis between practitioners and the aggregated data pool of peers and review by SCARD:

• Total of patients
• Total of new lesions
• Total of previously biopsied lesions
• Breakdown of all new lesions by histological diagnosis
• NNT *
• Diagnostic sensitivity – all new lesions
• Diagnostic sensitivity – All new melanomas
• Diagnostic sensitivity – All new non-melanoma skin cancers
• Diagnostic sensitivity – All new SCCs
• Diagnostic sensitivity – All new BCCs

The SCARD Audit also provides details on the practitioner’s surgical performance for the following:

• Accuracy: Practitioners can review their percentage breakdown for diagnostic accuracy based on their provisional diagnosis during excision / initial treatment.
• Adequacy: Practitioners can view their percentage breakdown for definitively managed malignant cases where surgical margins were adequate with analysis by lesion type.

This includes:

• Adequacy of surgical margins – All definitively managed BCCs
• Adequacy of surgical margins – All definitively managed IEC/Bowens
• Adequacy of surgical margins – All definitively managed SCCs
• Adequacy of surgical margins – All definitively managed Keratoacanthoma
• Adequacy of surgical margins – All definitively managed Melanomas in situ
• Adequacy of surgical margins – All definitively managed Melanomas invasive
• Adequacy of surgical margins – All definitively managed “Other malignant” lesions.
• Breakdown of all procedures performed to exclude melanoma
• Breakdown of all definitive management procedures used for malignant conditions
• Breakdown of all definitive management procedures used for benign conditions

* NNT is a surrogate for improved specificity (not excising excessive benign lesions)

The SCARD Audit also provides details on the practitioner’s surgical performance for the following:

• Accuracy: Practitioners can review their percentage breakdown for diagnostic accuracy based on their provisional diagnosis at the time of excision / initial treatment.
• Adequacy: Practitioners can view their percentage breakdown for definitively managed malignant cases where surgical margins were adequate with analysis by lesion type.

The SCARD surgical audit is completed on a “per lesion” basis, with a minimum of 40 specimens required per collection period. Practitioners are encouraged to record all patients undergoing treatment for skin cancer-related conditions.

The typical collection period is two months, which may vary depending on the practitioner’s location and patient volume. For example, a practitioner in a rural or remote area may require up to six months to meet the minimum specimen requirement.

The collection process is repeated in a non-contiguous collection period with the exact minimum specimen requirement. At the end of each collection period, SCARD produces reports that include a comparative analysis of the practitioner’s surgical records and aggregated data from peers, all of which are reviewed by SCARD.

By collecting data for the two separate periods, practitioners are able to compare the SCARD reports of each period to identify any noticeable differences in the results.

With the continued use of SCARD as a self-auditing tool, practitioners can track their performance and improvement over time. The following long-term changes are typically observed:

Improved recognition of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) improves the practitioner’s Positive Predictive Value by correctly identifying lesions with provisional diagnoses.

• The percentage of melanomas that are in-situ (disregarding initial consultations with each patient) is a surrogate for improved diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity).
• The Number Needed to Treat (NNT) is a surrogate for improved specificity by reducing the number of benign lesions excised.
• Increased adequacy of treatment for melanoma and NMSC with a greater proportion of adequate margins.

Once the collection periods are completed and the comparison reports are generated, the deidentified results are reported to the SCARD data pool. The pool results are assessed, and practitioners who meet the requirements are recorded as having completed the SCARD Surgical Audit CPD Program.

Several medical colleges recognize the SCARD Surgical Audit CPD Program as a self-auditing and quality improvement program for Continuing Professional Development. Practitioners who complete the program’s requirements are eligible for recognition by the following colleges:

• RACGP: The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
• ACRRM: The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine

Practitioners can select which colleges they wish to be recognized by based on their membership and the colleges’ requirements.

Once the collection periods are completed and the comparison reports have been generated, the de-identified results are reported to the SCARD pool. The pool results are assessed & upon meeting the requirements, practitioners are recorded as completing the SCARD Surgical Audit CPD Program.

If you require further information about the SCARD Surgical Audit CPD Program or have questions about the SCARD Surgical Audit, please do not hesitate to contact us via the Contact Us form or [email protected]

Participation in the SCARD Surgical Audit CPD Program is optional, and use of the platform is free of charge.

A program fee may apply if SCARD incurs costs associated with recognition as a facilitator or accreditation of the SCARD CPD Program under a provider’s credits/points scheme. Before any fees are applicable, practitioners must elect to participate in recognition with the provider’s credits/points scheme with SCARD.

SCARD Systems Pty Ltd (ABN 54 167 827 607) is an Australian Private Company registered for GST. Currency amounts are in Australian Dollars (AUD) and include GST.