The dermatopathologist-patient consultation program: A pilot study on patient perspectives and interest

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pathology
• Patient Communication

Background:

• Dermatopathologists play a key role in diagnosing skin lesions, but patient understanding of their role is limited due to infrequent direct interaction.
• Patient-pathologist consultation programs are emerging, allowing patients to discuss results and view tissue samples with a pathologist.
• Limited research exists on patient interest in dermatopathology consultations, with only one prior study on patient perspectives of general pathologist consultations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient interest in dermatopathologist-patient consultation programs.
• To explore patient motivations for engaging in such consultations.
• To assess patient interest in discussing diagnoses and examining tissue with a dermatopathologist.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous survey was utilized to gather data.
• The survey was distributed through online support groups catering to individuals with diverse dermatologic diagnoses.

Main Results:

• A high level of patient interest was observed for dermatopathologist-patient consultations.
• 81.3% of patients expressed moderate to high interest in discussing their diagnosis with a dermatopathologist.
• 79.2% of patients expressed moderate to high interest in examining their tissue microscopically with a dermatopathologist.

Conclusions:

• Patients with both cancerous and non-cancerous dermatologic conditions exhibit strong interest in consultation programs with dermatopathologists.
• Existing pathologist consultation program infrastructure can be leveraged to pilot new dermatopathologist-patient programs.
• Future initiatives should focus on assessing physician interest and overcoming logistical barriers for program implementation.