Enhancing oncodermatology support: assessing patient utilization and satisfaction with educational resources for managing dermatologic toxicities of cancer treatment

Abstract

Dermatologic toxicities resulting from cancer treatments are common, debilitating, and can significantly impact a patient’s quality of life. In some cases, these toxicities may require dose adjustments or even discontinuation of treatment. Timely management of dermatologic adverse events (DAEs) is crucial to improving patient outcomes, and educational resources are instrumental in empowering patients to recognize and manage these issues. This cross-sectional survey study aims to characterize patient utilization of and satisfaction with educational resources regarding dermatologic toxicities of cancer treatments. Findings indicate that while 77.5% (n = 110) of patients received information on managing dermatologic toxicities, a larger proportion (n = 123; 86.5%) experienced these side effects. Healthcare providers were the primary source of information (n = 102/110; 92.7%), followed by self-searching on the internet (n = 59/110; 53.6%), and social media (n = 43/110; 39.1%). Despite most patients receiving educational content, patients expressed low satisfaction with both the quality and quantity of information provided, with only 31.3% (n = 41) reporting satisfaction with the amount of information and 33.8% (n = 44) reporting satisfaction with its quality, highlighting a significant gap in resource effectiveness. Notably, patients reported the highest satisfaction with information provided by healthcare providers, suggesting that integrating comprehensive dermatologic education into oncologic care could improve patient satisfaction and outcomes.