Impact of a see-and-treat melanoma clinic on patient experience

Abstract

Background See-and-treat (‘one stop’) clinics for cutaneous and noncutaneous tumor streams have been shown to enhance patient experience, amongst other benefits, such as reduced waiting time to surgery if required. To date, there have been no studies assessing patient perception of one-stop clinics dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of melanomas and pigmented lesions. Objective To perform a prospective survey study examining patient’s perception of a see-and-treat pigmented lesion clinic. Methods and materials Consenting patients were contacted by phone to complete a survey comprising 10 statements relating to different facets of the clinic, four weeks after their initial assessment. Reponses were documented on a 5-point Likert scale. Results A total of 107/142 (75.4%) patients consented to partake in the study. Compared to overall mean response, patients who underwent same-day biopsy reported higher satisfaction (4.9 vs. 4.5, p < .01) and perceived convenience (4.8 vs. 4.4, p < .01). Of those who received same-day procedures, no patient reported being given insufficient time to consider surgical treatment. Conclusion A see-and-treat model for pigmented lesions, incorporating same-day excisional biopsy for lesions suspicious for melanoma, is viewed upon favorably by patients.