Educational videos improve dermatology residents’ understanding of Mohs surgery

Elisabeth Hurliman

Educational video modules helped improve dermatology residents’ understanding of Mohs micrographic surgery, according to a research letter published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

“Mohs surgery is the gold standard treatment for skin cancers, but it can be difficult to understand and teach since it is a very three-dimensional process,” Elisabeth Hurliman, MD, PhD, corresponding author and dermatologist Zel Skin & Laser Specialists, Veterans Affairs Health Care System Specialty Care Mohs Surgery, Hennepin Healthcare Dermatology Clinic Mohs Surgery Service, and affiliated faculty at the department of dermatology at the University of Minnesota, told Healio. “We developed an educational module with real-life surgery footage and animation to help fill this training gap.”

The mixed live-action and animated video modules showed residents how, why and when Mohs surgery is performed.

Eighty-three dermatology resident physicians were recruited in the matched cohort study to complete a survey rating their confidence level of Mohs micrographic surgery. After completing the survey, the residents watched two short educational video modules on Mohs and were asked to answer the same survey questions again.

“With wide variation in Mohs surgery experience among dermatology residents, there is a need for an approachable medium for resident exposure to Mohs, and a module conveying three-dimensional content may fill that need,” Evan McNeil, MS, of the department of dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, and colleagues wrote in the letter.

The video modules significantly improved dermatology residents’ comfort with Mohs micrographic surgery in the survey questions (P < .05).

“Even though not all dermatologists are trained in Mohs surgery, all dermatologists have patients that they refer on to Mohs surgery for their skin cancer treatment,” Hurliman said. “We hope that our module will help increase comfort levels for all dermatologists (in training or already in practice) to describe the method to their patients. This way, patients can get a streamlined ambulatory surgery experience with full informed consent.” – by Erin T. Welsh

Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.