Every year, around 300 New Zealanders die of melanoma – the highest rate of death from melanoma in the world. To improve these statistics and save lives, melanoma must be detected early, and an excellent standard of care must be provided to everyone diagnosed at every stage of their cancer journey.
In September this year, MelNet (a charitable organisation supporting health professionals working in skin cancer) released the third edition of the “Quality Statements to Guide Melanoma Diagnosis and Treatment in New Zealand” – evidence-based clinical guidelines that describe what good prevention, diagnosis and quality care should look like in New Zealand. The document has been developed by melanoma specialists to reduce New Zealand’s world-leading rates and help to ensure every New Zealander affected by melanoma has access to consistent, high-quality care.
Although the Quality Statements were developed with clinicians in mind, it is hoped they can also help those people affected by melanoma to understand the level of care they should expect to receive at every step and empower them to have more informed discussions with their healthcare team about their treatment plan.
You can download a copy of the third edition of the Quality Statements here.