Abstract
Abstract
 
 Purpose: Surgical procedures for malignant and benign cutaneous diseases are commonly performed in the outpatient dermatology clinic. For patients, these procedures can be accompanied by significant uncertainty, angst, and feelings of unpreparedness. In some instances, this uncertainty may contribute to adverse events such as the development of deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary emboli due to unnecessarily held anticoagulants.
 
 Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study evaluating the impact of pre-surgical informative phone calls on patient satisfaction with their surgical experience. Surgical patients scheduled at our academic dermatology clinic for excision or Mohs surgery were randomly assigned to a “call”/intervention group or “non-call”/control group. Patients in the intervention group were called by their resident surgeon one evening prior to their procedure. The resident discussed a pre-written script of expectations and preparations for the surgical day and post-operative period, and allotted time for patients to ask questions. Patients from both groups were given identical five-point Likert scale surveys to complete on the day of their suture removal, which varied from 7-14 days after the procedure. Data analysis was performed using SPSS. Means and one-tail t-test for each question were calculated to compare the call group to the non-call group.
 
 Results: Patients in the call group reported higher rates of overall satisfaction, satisfaction with answers to questions, overall preparation, and overall rating of surgical experience while also reporting lower levels of fear and anxiety. Of these findings, differences in level of preparedness were statistically significant.
 
 Conclusions: The results suggest that presurgical phone calls to patients may improve patient education, help address their concerns and questions, improve their satisfaction with care, and can potentially limit adverse events.
Highlights
Patient satisfaction is an ever-important aspect of providing patient-centered medical care
A prospective cohort study was developed in which patients scheduled for surgical intervention at our academic dermatology office were randomized into intervention and control groups
The intervention group had a slightly higher rating of how well their questions were answered with a mean of 4.85 (SD = 0.57) compared to 4.58 (SD = 0.64) for the control group (p = 0.051)
Summary
Patient satisfaction is an ever-important aspect of providing patient-centered medical care. Prior research has repeatedly demonstrated the effect of physiciandirected communication on patient satisfaction and therapeutic efficacy of treatment[1,2]. In the past two decades, patient satisfaction has become increasingly important in medical reimbursement models utilizing Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Provider and Systems (HCAHPS) scores[3]. HCACPS is a scoring system that rates hospitals on aspects of clinical care including satisfaction with staff, facilities, and perception of care quality. Hospital systems with higher HCAHPS scores are reimbursed at a higher rate through the hospital value-based purchase program.
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