The Potential of Video in Patient Education Post Skin Biopsies

Plastic surgeons perform excisional skin biopsies that may be in aesthetically sensitive areas. Excisional biopsies are performed on an outpatient basis and therefore patients are expected to perform wound care at home. The current standard of patient education for post-procedural care is verbal information along with a written set of instructions to take home. However, a patient’s comprehension of verbal directions and literacy level can greatly affect the transmission of knowledge, and verbal instructions are not standardized across each patient encounter. The importance of patient education in self-care with the use of video has great potential in promoting improved outcomes.