Preoperative Image-based Education Effect on Postoperative Satisfaction of Patients Undergoing First-time Dermatologic Surgery

Preoperative Image-based Education Effect on Postoperative Satisfaction of Patients Undergoing First-time Dermatologic Surgery

Investigating the Effect of Preoperative Image-based Education on Postoperative Satisfaction of Patients Undergoing First-time Dermatologic Surgery

This research study aims to understand whether visual and written education on wound appearance can improve patients' experience and understanding of what their wound will look like following dermatologic surgery.

Undergoing surgery is a stressful process for many patients. By its nature, dermatologic surgery carries additional stressors given that it is performed on the skin, a very cosmetically sensitive area. In our dermatologic surgery practice, we have found that patients are often surprised by the length of their surgical wound immediately post-surgery; many have expressed confusion about the length of the wound relative to the much smaller targeted lesion. Our research study will utilize image-based education prior to patients' first dermatologic surgery to determine whether this intervention helps patients feel more satisfied with their wound appearance immediately post-surgery. Our primary hypothesis is that patients who are undergoing dermatologic surgery for the first time will benefit from image-based education about the surgical wound closure process. We hypothesize that a greater proportion of such patients would feel more satisfied and less distressed with the cosmetic outcomes immediately after their surgery relative to patients who did not receive image-based education. If this hypothesis is found to be true, we will conclude that there is a need for better patient education prior to their dermatologic surgery procedure. We hope that this study will create a framework for sharing educational resources with patients so that they may set expectations as to surgical outcomes. These findings may also be relevant to other surgical procedures where patient satisfaction would be improved by the implementation of pre-operative education.

Intervention group: educational material provided on the day of surgery containing pictographic and written education material on wound appearance following primary closure after Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS) or Wide Local Excision (WLE)

Intervention group: education handout containing pictographic and written education material on wound appearance following primary closure after Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS) or Wide Local Excision (WLE)

Patient satisfaction with wound appearance immediately after surgery in control vs. intervention groups as assessed by the Modified Skin Cancer Index questionnaire

Whether the wound appearance is as expected, worse than expected, or better than expected immediately after surgery in control vs. intervention groups. We will administer the Modified Skin Cancer Index questionnaire to determine patient satisfaction with their wound appearance and compare satisfaction between control and intervention groups.

Patient factors associated with satisfaction with wound appearance as assessed by Modified Skin Cancer Index questionnaire

We will collect information from the patient chart (including demographic factors, medical comorbidities, wound characteristics) to correlate these factors with patient satisfaction with their wound appearance

Inclusion Criteria: Inclusion criteria: Adult patients (ages 18-100) who will be undergoing dermatology surgery at Johns Hopkins. We will include only patients who are undergoing their first dermatology surgery. Only patients whose incisions are closed with primary closure will be eligible. Exclusion Criteria: Patients who have already undergone dermatology surgery. Patients whose incisions are not closed with primary closure

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