Web App- and Text Message-Based Patient Education in Mohs Micrographic Surgery-A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Surgical Education
• Patient Communication

Background:

• Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) education currently utilizes consent and wound care (WC) videos.
• The effectiveness of postoperative text messaging for MMS patients remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate perioperative educational resources for Mohs micrographic surgery patients.
• Resources include video modules (DermPatientEd.com) and postoperative text messaging (DermTexts.com).

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 90 MMS patients.
• Patients were assigned to four groups: videos with text messages, videos-only, text messages-only, or a control group.
• Primary outcomes assessed were preoperative anxiety and knowledge of MMS and postoperative care; secondary outcomes included intervention helpfulness and patient preference.

Main Results:

• MMS videos significantly reduced preoperative anxiety by 19% (p = .00062).
• Wound care videos were rated as more helpful than pamphlets for understanding postoperative care (p = .0016).
• Patients preferred text message wound care instructions over pamphlets for future visits (p = .0001), though they did not find them significantly more helpful (p = .3566).

Conclusions:

• Perioperative video modules and text messaging are effective educational resources for Mohs surgery patients.
• Educational videos can reduce preoperative anxiety.
• Patients prefer text message-based wound care instructions, indicating a potential shift in patient communication preferences.