Dermatopathology reports may need to be redesigned to increase patient comprehension due to the lack of understanding patients have of current reports, according to a research letter published in JAMA Dermatology.
An anonymous survey was offered to all patients at Brigham and Women’s Hospital dermatology clinic over 6 days in April 2019. The survey asked about demographics and attitudes about technology, with a request to interpret a deidentified pathology report. However, a separate survey suggested that most practitioners would not change the content of dermatopathology reports and that a “substantial proportion” of practitioners already receive phone calls from patients who read their reports and want to discuss the results.
