Whack-a-Mole: Testing an Intervention to Increase Melanoma Identification

The purpose of this study is to evaluate an interactive game designed to increase people's ability to identify cancerous moles.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Diagnoses Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: ABCD Information; Behavioral: Standard (clinical) feedback; Behavioral: Motivational feedback; Behavioral: UDS information

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 1849

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Florida
    • Coral Gables, Florida, United States, 33146
      • University of Miami

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Adults living in U.S. who are members of the online panel.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Resident of U.S.
• At least 18 years old
• Capable of reading English
• Member of panel assembled by survey provider

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals under 18 years old

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Other
• Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Number of groups / cohorts

12

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
ABCD training with standard feedback; Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter (ABCD) training message intervention with standard dermatological feedback	Behavioral: ABCD Information; The intervention condition includes exposure to a message emphasizing the ABCD strategy to identify malignant melanoma.; Behavioral: Standard (clinical) feedback; Feedback on mole identification task provided by a dermatologist.
ABCD training with motivational feedback; ABCD training message intervention with dermatological feedback and a motivational message	Behavioral: ABCD Information; The intervention condition includes exposure to a message emphasizing the ABCD strategy to identify malignant melanoma.; Behavioral: Motivational feedback; Feedback on mole identification task provided by a dermatologist plus exposure to a motivational fear appeal message designed to increase skin self exam intentions.
ABCD training with no feedback; ABCD message intervention with no feedback	Behavioral: ABCD Information; The intervention condition includes exposure to a message emphasizing the ABCD strategy to identify malignant melanoma.
UDS method training with standard feedback; Ugly Duckling Sign (UDS) method message intervention with dermatological feedback.	Behavioral: Standard (clinical) feedback; Feedback on mole identification task provided by a dermatologist.; Behavioral: UDS information; The intervention condition includes exposure to a message emphasizing the UDS strategy to identify malignant melanoma.
UDS method training with motivational feedback; UDS message intervention with dermatological feedback and a motivational message.	Behavioral: Motivational feedback; Feedback on mole identification task provided by a dermatologist plus exposure to a motivational fear appeal message designed to increase skin self exam intentions.; Behavioral: UDS information; The intervention condition includes exposure to a message emphasizing the UDS strategy to identify malignant melanoma.
UDS training with no feedback; UDS message intervention with no feedback.	Behavioral: UDS information; The intervention condition includes exposure to a message emphasizing the UDS strategy to identify malignant melanoma.
ABCD-F training with standard feedback; ABCD-F intervention with dermatological feedback.	Behavioral: ABCD Information; The intervention condition includes exposure to a message emphasizing the ABCD strategy to identify malignant melanoma.; Behavioral: Standard (clinical) feedback; Feedback on mole identification task provided by a dermatologist.; Behavioral: UDS information; The intervention condition includes exposure to a message emphasizing the UDS strategy to identify malignant melanoma.
ABCD-F training with motivational feedback; ABCD-F intervention with dermatological feedback and a motivational message.	Behavioral: ABCD Information; The intervention condition includes exposure to a message emphasizing the ABCD strategy to identify malignant melanoma.; Behavioral: Motivational feedback; Feedback on mole identification task provided by a dermatologist plus exposure to a motivational fear appeal message designed to increase skin self exam intentions.; Behavioral: UDS information; The intervention condition includes exposure to a message emphasizing the UDS strategy to identify malignant melanoma.
ABCD-F training with no feedback; ABCD-F intervention with no feedback.	Behavioral: ABCD Information; The intervention condition includes exposure to a message emphasizing the ABCD strategy to identify malignant melanoma.; Behavioral: UDS information; The intervention condition includes exposure to a message emphasizing the UDS strategy to identify malignant melanoma.
No message intervention with standard feedback; No message intervention, but with dermatological feedback.	Behavioral: Standard (clinical) feedback; Feedback on mole identification task provided by a dermatologist.
No message intervention with motivational feedback; No message intervention, but with dermatological feedback and a motivational message.	Behavioral: Motivational feedback; Feedback on mole identification task provided by a dermatologist plus exposure to a motivational fear appeal message designed to increase skin self exam intentions.
No message intervention with no feedback; No message intervention and no feedback. True control.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mole identification accuracy	Mole identification accuracy will be reported as the amount of mole correctly identified as either melanoma or typical nevi	Day 2

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Skin Self Exam Intentions	Self-report measure of intentions to perform a skin self exam. Quantified using a single item indicator with scores ranging from 1-7 with higher scores indicating greater intentions to perform a skin self exam to detect potential melanomas.	Day 2
Intentions to see a Dermatologist	Self-report measure of intentions to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist to receive a skin cancer exam. Quantified using a single item indicator with scores ranging from 1-7 with higher scores indicating greater intentions to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist.	Day 2
Skin Self Exam Attitudes	Self-report measure of attitudes towards skin cancer exams. Quantified using the mean of the self report scale with scores ranging from 1-7 with higher scores indicating more positive attitudes towards skin self exams.	Day 2
Skin Self Exam Beliefs	Self-report measure of beliefs towards skin cancer exams. Quantified using the mean of the self report scales for perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived self-efficacy, and perceived response efficacy with scores ranging from 1-7 with higher scores indicating more strongly held beliefs about skin self exams.	Day 2

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Miami
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Nicholas Carcioppolo, PhD, Study Co-Principal Investigator; Principal Investigator: Soyoon Kim, PhD, Study Co-Principal Investigator

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 13, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 3, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): March 3, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 23, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 23, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): August 28, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 25, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 15, 2021
• Last Verified: October 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Melanoma identification
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Neoplasms; Neuroectodermal Tumors; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal; Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue; Neuroendocrine Tumors; Nevi and Melanomas; Melanoma
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20190153

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No