Patient-Centered Outcomes for Skin Cancer Management: Utilization of a Patient Delphi Process to Identify Important Treatment Themes

Todd V. Cartee, Murad Alam, Eric S. Armbrecht, Anit Behera, Naomi Lawrence, Jeremy S. Bordeaux, Christian L. Baum, Anthony Rossi, Ian A. Maher

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND Patient-reported outcomes are critical to research directed at maximizing patient benefit. The outcomes patients consider most relevant in the treatment of skin cancer have not been directly investigated.OBJECTIVETo develop a ranked list of outcomes deemed most important by patients with skin cancer through a proctored Delphi process.METHODSTwenty-one patients with a history of skin cancer volunteered to participate in the patient summit. The patient members participated in a guided discussion to generate a long list of potentially relevant outcomes. The list was then condensed and ranked through 2 rounds of a proctored Delphi process.RESULTSPatients were diverse in their skin cancer histories and complexities, ages, and states of residence. Twelve themes were rated as highly important by 70% or more of participants. Most of these themes related to patient education and the collaborative nature of the physician-patient relationship. Fear of recurrence and cosmetic outcome were also highly rated. Limitations include a preponderance of older patients and patients from the midwest and northeast.CONCLUSIONPatients with skin cancer overwhelmingly prioritize a shared decision-making process, in which they are actively engaged and value detailed education regarding their disease. This should inform future research directed at skin cancer treatment and current physician-patient interactions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)246-253
Number of pages8
JournalDermatologic Surgery
Volume45
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Surgery
  • Dermatology

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