title: Patient's self-evaluation of two education programs for age-related skin changes in the face: a prospective, randomized, controlled study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An interactive software program (HOYS) has been developed utilizing a database of digital images depicting various aspects and degrees of aging of exposed skin across seven geographic regions, representing a total of 35 facial and extrafacial subregions. A five-point photonumeric rating scale, which portrays age-related skin changes across five decades for each of these subregions, underpins this patient-based interactive self-assessment program. Based on the resulting outputs from this program, an individualized treatment prioritization list is generated for each region where significant differences between the patient's chronological and esthetic ages exist. This provides guidance for the patient and the treating physician on treatment options.
  
  
  METHODS
  To evaluate the utility of HOYS in the clinic, relative to education programs currently used in Australian private esthetic clinics, a total of 95 esthetically-orientated patients were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with a prospective cohort of patients completing a standard education program commonly utilized in Australian esthetic clinics, patients receiving the HOYS education program reported greater empowerment through improved knowledge of specific age-related skin changes. This was associated with a clearer understanding of treatment options available to them, and a perceived ability to participate in the selection of the treatments potentially administered to improve their appearance. These differences between the two education groups were highly significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients completing the HOYS patient education program have an improved understanding of age-related changes to exposed skin of their face, neck, décolletage, and hands. Due to the patient-specific nature of the program, these patients perceive a greater role in the deciding which esthetic treatments should be subsequently administered to enhance their appearance, through an improved understanding of the rationale for these treatments and indeed how they should be prioritized to achieve the best outcome for them.
authors.affiliation: Artisan Rejuvenation Clinic, Fortitude Valley, Queensland;
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Alderman
authors.forename: Garry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cussell
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goldston
authors.forename: Neal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Adrian C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Greg J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Halstead
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rogers
references.citation: Dermatol Surg. 2000 Dec;26(12):1107-12
references.pmid: 11134986
references.citation: Dermatol Ther. 2006 May-Jun;19(3):141-50
references.pmid: 16784513
references.citation: Dermatol Surg. 2011 Jul;37(7):901-17
references.pmid: 21585594
references.citation: J Cosmet Dermatol. 2011 Jun;10(2):126-30
references.pmid: 21649818