Lymphoedema is one of the most significant survivorship issues after surgery in melanoma patients but currently receives little attention from the medical community. The authors’ aim was to develop and evaluate an evidence-based resource booklet for lymphoedema in melanoma survivors. Melanoma patients and healthcare professionals were surveyed between January and April 2013. Booklet structure and content, and familiarity with lymphoedema topics pre- and postbooklet reading were assessed. All questionnaires were evaluated using aggregate descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic data analysis for qualitative data. Patient interviews revealed dissatisfaction with lymphoedema management and a strong desire for informational resources. Knowledge of lymphoedema improved modestly after booklet reading. Patients provided strong positive feedback on the content and structure of the booklet (9.4/10), with all categories scoring above 9. Surveyed healthcare professionals reported a high degree of familiarity with lymphoedema topics (9.2/10), and a majority were likely to recommend the booklet to newly diagnosed melanoma patients. Preliminary evaluation of the evidence-based resource booklet generated positive feedback and suggests it improving patient education and management of lymphoedema.
