title: Preoperative telephone consultation does not decrease patient anxiety before Mohs micrographic surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many factors influence anxiety and satisfaction of patients undergoing Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine the effect of a preoperative educational telephone call on anxiety and satisfaction for patients undergoing same-day office consultation and MMS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with skin cancer (N = 104) scheduled for same-day office consultation and MMS were randomly assigned to receive or not to receive an educational telephone call during the week before surgery. All patients rated their anxiety levels immediately before and after the same-day office consultation and MMS by completing the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and an anxiety visual analog scale. Patients also rated satisfaction immediately after MMS by completing the Visit-Specific Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients undergoing same-day office consultation and MMS reported similar levels of increased anxiety and high satisfaction, regardless of whether they received a preoperative educational telephone call.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lack of control for patients' prior surgery or self-education is a limitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative educational telephone calls did not relieve anxiety or improve satisfaction for patients undergoing same-day office consultation and MMS. Preoperative education and counseling has uncertain benefits to anxiety and satisfaction of patients undergoing MMS.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatologic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: joseph.sobanko@uphs.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sobanko
authors.affiliation: Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Zelma C
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Chiesa Fuxench
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Badri
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Modi
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatologic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Thuzar M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatologic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Jeremy R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Etzkorn
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Sara S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Samimi
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: Karolyn A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Wanat
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatologic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015580:Mohs Surgery / Q000523:psychology*; D009819:Office Visits; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D057234:Preoperative Period; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone
keywords: Mohs micrographic surgery; anxiety; education; patient-reported outcome; satisfaction; telephone call