Educational video promotes durable knowledge about actinic keratoses in patients with field cancerization: a pseudorandomized, single-blind, controlled pilot study

Abstract

Background: Diffuse actinic keratoses (AKs) have multiple treatment options. Patient understanding of treatment options may enhance patient autonomy, satisfaction, treatment adherence, and clinical outcomes. Delivering effective and consistent verbal counseling on AK treatment can be challenging.

Objective: We investigated the effect on patient knowledge of implementing, prior to standard counseling, a novel video decision aid explaining diffuse AK treatment options.

Methods & materials: Participants were recruited from an academic Mohs surgery clinic and randomized to receive the video decision aid plus standard verbal counseling (video) or standard verbal counseling alone (control). Both groups completed baseline, immediate post-intervention, and 1-2 week delayed durable knowledge assessments. Secondary endpoints included participant satisfaction and verbal counseling duration.

Results: Thirty-one eligible patients (16 control, 15 video) participated. No baseline differences existed between the groups. The video group had significantly higher mean durable knowledge scores than the controls (video 10.00 ± 1.48, control 8.36 ± 1.69, p = .018). Patients were highly satisfied with the video. Verbal counseling duration did not significantly differ between groups.

Conclusion: A video decision aid for treatment of diffuse AKs improved durable patient knowledge.

Keywords: Actinic keratosis; dermatology; patient education as topic; skin neoplasms.