Background: Quality indicators are fundamental to monitoring the performance, safety, effectiveness and equity of organised population cancer screening programs (1,2). There has been no comprehensive synthesis of quality indicators across cancer screening programs to inform quality monitoring for emerging screening models. This review aimed to identify quality indicators used internationally in population cancer screening programs and examine their applicability to targeted melanoma screening.
Methods: A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guideline. MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus were searched for studies published between 2016 and June 2026, alongside grey literature. Eligible studies described the development, validation, implementation or evaluation of quality indicators for organised population cancer screening programs. Indicators were extracted and classified by screening program, quality domain, indicator type, evidence base and data source. Their relevance, validity and feasibility for application to targeted melanoma screening were assessed.
Results: 1,296 records were identified, with 995 records screened following deduplication. Of 248 full-text articles assessed, 101 met the inclusion criteria. Quality indicators were identified across breast, cervical, bowel, lung and skin cancer screening programs, spanning participation, diagnostic performance, timeliness, safety, clinical outcomes, and governance. Indicators were mapped to a potential melanoma screening pathway and assessed for their applicability. Many indicators were directly applicable or adaptable to targeted melanoma screening, while evidence gaps were identified in appropriate targeting of screening, identification of eligible at-risk populations, and equitable program delivery. Existing diagnostic indicators were largely specific to individual screening modalities, highlighting the need for melanoma-specific measures as targeted screening pathways evolve.
Conclusions: This review provides the first comprehensive synthesis of quality indicators used across population cancer screening programs applicable to melanoma. The findings will support development of a candidate quality indicator framework under the Roadmap for a National Targeted Melanoma Screening Program and identify priorities for future indicator development and validation.