Patients are happy to be informed of their final non-melanoma skin cancer results by post.
During the past year, because of increasing pressure to see more patients, we have started to write to our patients informing them in a letter of their final skin cancer histology results following surgery for non-melanoma skin cancers: basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma only. A questionnaire-based study was carried out to assess whether patients were happy to receive information concerning their non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosis in a carefully worded letter. One-hundred fifty patients were involved with a diagnosis of "completely excised non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC)" that had previously received their final diagnosis by post. Seventy-seven (51.3%) patients responded to the questionnaire. Eighty-seven percent felt that they had been given the cancer diagnosis in an appropriate manner; 90 percent reported that they had understood the explanation about their skin cancer. In addition, 81 percent stated that they had been sufficiently involved in the discussion about their skin cancer and its treatment. Patients gave an average rating of 7.76 (1 = poor and 10 = excellent) for the overall experience of care that they had received. By writing to the patient with their final histology results, we have reduced the number of follow-up appointments without reducing the quality of patient care.
Barnet & Chase Farm NHS Hospitals Trust, Herts, London, UK.
Penelope
P
Thomson
Ioulios
I
Palamaras
Virginia
V
Hill
Wanda
W
Robles
Howard
H
Stevens
D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001706:Biopsy; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D003142:Communication; D003219:Confidentiality; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011177:Postal Service; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D006113:United Kingdom