Mallett KA, et al. - Researchers investigated the impact of a brief dermatologist-delivered intervention vs usual care on the patient satisfaction and sun-protection behavior among patients at 1- and 3-month follow-ups during the summer in the Northeast. The benefits of the intervention delivered by dermatologists following minimal standardized training were found to result in a higher level of satisfaction with dermatologist-patient communication and improved sun-protection behavior among patients across several months.

Methods

• This was a longitudinal controlled cohort study conducted from April 25 to November 6, 2017, at two dermatologic clinic sites within a Northeastern health-care system.
• Participants included adults receiving dermatology care, primarily non-Hispanic white patients aged 21 to 65 years.
• Participants were randomized to the intervention group (n=77) or the control group based on their dermatologists’ site location.
• The intervention (< 3 minutes) consisted of six components targeting sun risk and protective behaviors and was delivered by dermatologists during a skin examination or the suturing phase of skin cancer surgery.
• Patient’s satisfaction with the dermatologist’s communication and the association of the intervention with changing sun-protection behavior of the patient were assessed.

Results

• In comparison to patients in the control group (59 women and 23 men; mean [SD] age, 51.4 [11.3 years]), those in the intervention group (46 women and 31 men; mean [SD] age, 52.4 [9.6] years) rated dermatologist-patient communication more positively.
• In the intervention group vs the control group, ≥ 1 sunburns 1 month after the intervention was reported by 18% (14 of 77) of patients vs 35% (29 of 82) of patients (P=0.01), respectively.
• At the 3-month follow-up, no differences in report of sunburns were observed.
• Use of sunscreen across 3 months was reported to be increased in the intervention group (face: intervention, increased 12% and controls, decreased 4%; P=0.001; body: intervention, increased 12% and controls, decreased 1%; P=0.02; reapplication: intervention, increased 15% and controls, remained stable; P=0.002).