Abstract
Patient satisfaction is an important consideration when determining the optimal treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). One critical aspect of patient satisfaction is post-procedural wound care quality of life (QOL), especially as the elderly population grows. This study aimed to evaluate post-procedural wound care QOL in elderly patients undergoing electrodessication and curettage (ED&C) for NMSC in difficult-to-reach areas, namely the posterior shoulder and back. To do so, patient demographics, functionality, co-morbidities, and post-procedural wound care QOL were assessed in twenty elderly patients (age > 65) who underwent ED&C for NMSC at a single academic dermatologic surgery clinic. Independent t-tests were used to evaluate how QOL related to patient age, gender, living situation, relationship status, co-morbidities, and functionality. Patients who lived alone had better-wound care QOL compared to patients who did not live alone (p = 0.04). Patients reported concerns about knocking the wound and did not feel they could care for the wound independently. Patients who were married, female, or had a lower comorbidity score reported poorer QOL, although this finding was not statistically significant. This study indicates that patients’ QOL can be negatively affected by post-procedural wounds located in difficult-to-reach areas. As dermatologists strive to improve patient satisfaction, wound care quality of life should be considered when choosing treatment for NMSC.
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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Rajiv Nijhawan, upon reasonable request.
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22 October 2021
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-021-02287-y
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the UTSW IRB, Study # 062017-050.
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Pretzlaff, K., West, L., Nemeh, M.N. et al. Wound care quality of life in aging patients undergoing electrodessication and curettage on the back. Arch Dermatol Res 314, 477–480 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-021-02248-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-021-02248-5