There is No Manipulating Patient Satisfaction
- Posted on: Dec 15 2019
Mohs micrographic surgery has been heralded as the gold standard in skin cancer treatment. This combination of surgical and histopathological techniques was developed to completely remove complicated skin cancers without excising an unnecessary amount of adjacent healthy tissue. As conservative as the Mohs technique is, there may be defects that require repair. The skilled Mohs surgeon often performs these repairs themselves. Because the CMS Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing (HIVBP) program takes patient satisfaction surveys into account for reimbursement, more physicians are taking note of this important aspect of patient care.
What Influences Patient Satisfaction?
It has been widely reported in recent years that patient satisfaction with Mohs surgery is directly related to cosmetic outcomes. Cosmetic outcomes, as we know, are influenced by closure techniques. More on that in a moment.
To better understand contributing factors to patient satisfaction, a group of physicians conducted a small study. The Mohs surgeons measured patient satisfaction by having some patients observe their surgical wounds in a mirror prior to defect repair and simply repairing defects in another group of patients. Patients had follow-up visits at the one-week and four-week mark. At the conclusion of their study, the physicians found that there was no discernible difference in patient satisfaction among those who had observed their wound before closure than those who did not.
Our Conclusion
Our conclusion regarding this independent study is that we cannot manipulate patient satisfaction with any strategy other than honing our closure skills. The American Society of Mohs Surgery has been established to empower physicians with hands-on training that makes a difference in their patients’ lives.
We are pleased to offer a 2-day training course devoted to Mohs closure techniques. In our Closure Course, we take dermatologists from their basic closure skills to more advanced reconstructive competency. The training is designed to facilitate immediate assimilation into the physician’s practice. If you are interested in increasing your confidence and competency in executing optimal Mohs reconstruction, register to join us for our next Closure Course, taking place in January 2020. For more information, call (714) 379-6262.
Posted in: MOHS Surgery
