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73778 Addressing Mohs Education, Anxiety, and Satisfaction with a Building Block Model
Abstract   Peer reviewed

73778 Addressing Mohs Education, Anxiety, and Satisfaction with a Building Block Model

Luke Geis, Daniel Haws, Christopher Landland, Bradley Loeffler, Elizabeth Cusick, Marta Van Beek, Kirk Sidey, Nicole Negbenebor and Jennifer Powers
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Vol.95(1), p.AB35
07/2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2026.04.153

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Abstract

Background: Previous studies have shown 3D models in Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS) have demonstrated the ability to reduce anxiety while improving patient understanding of surgery. It is unclear if specific education focused on the necessity of additional stages could improve a patient's education, anxiety, and satisfaction with the surgery. Purpose: The primary goal of this study is to evaluate whether a 3D brick-building model, emphasizing the need for additional stages, enhances patient understanding, reduces anxiety, and improves overall satisfaction with MMS and which extraneous factors affect these metrics. Methods: The study was a nonblinded, randomized control trial design with 100 patients split evenly between a standardized education with script (control) and standardized education utilizing a brick-building model. Patients completed preoperative surveys for visual analog scale (VAS) procedure understanding, VAS anxiety, and short-form state-trait anxiety index (STAI). Following the first stage of MMS, patients completed VAS understanding and anxiety, STAI, patient satisfaction questionnaire (PSQ) 18: short-form, and a 5-question knowledge-assessment. Results: Both groups shared similar demographics: age, sex, prior MMS experience (p>.05) and experienced a reduction in VAS Anxiety, STAI forms, and an increase in VAS understanding (p<.05). The experimental group outperformed the control, answering 90.4% correctly vs. 86.8%, though this difference was not statistically significant (p>.05). Patients who were married experienced increased satisfaction via PSQ 18 (p<.05). Conclusion: There was a trend towards improved performance in the brick-building group compared to the control group. More research is needed to understand how a higher knowledge base impacts patient experience during MMS and if 3D models improve spatial reasoning for patients.

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