What is DermCAP?

DermCAP is a structured clinical apprenticeship designed to improve the quality and consistency of skin lesion decisions in primary care.

Clinicians develop capability through supervised practice, dermoscopy and outcome-linked feedback over 12 months.

The result is safer decision-making, higher-quality referrals and measurable workforce development.

How DermCAP Works

DermCAP improves decision-making through a structured cycle of supervised practice, feedback and progressive independence.

Focused learning & calibrationStructured teaching and supervised clinics establish safe foundations.
Clinical practiceApply learning in routine care and build experience through increased patient encounters.
Outcome-Based CalibrationReview real patient outcomes and refine decision-making.
Progressive independenceDevelop confidence and capability while retaining clinical responsibility.
Improved decision-makingMore consistent decisions and higher-quality referrals over time.

What problem does DermCAP solve?

Referral demand continues to rise while downstream capacity struggles to keep pace.

Most improvement efforts focus on expanding specialist capacity. DermCAP focuses upstream instead — helping clinicians make more consistent skin lesion decisions at first patient contact through supervision, feedback and outcome-linked learning.

The aim is not simply more referrals or fewer referrals, but better referral decisions.

dermcap graph for calibration system home page

DermCAP addresses this problem

DermCAP is designed to improve decision quality at first patient contact through structured supervised practice within primary care.

This supports

  • Safer patient management
  • More consistent referral decisions
  • Improved cancer yield from referrals
  • Fewer benign lesions escalating downstream

DermCAP enables

  • High-quality dermoscopic imaging as standard
  • Development of local expertise within primary care
  • Decisions linked to real outcomes over time

Explore for Commissioners

Improve skin lesion assessment at first contact, with measurable pilot outcomes and governance-led implementation.

Explore for Clinicians & Practices

Structured support for clinicians making real-time skin lesion decisions in primary care.