Patient education in Mohs surgery: a review and critical evaluation of techniques

Background: Traditional in-person discussion alone is often used for preoperative education in Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). The appropriate use of more modern education techniques is not well defined in the MMS literature. Objective: The authors aim to evaluate patient education techniques for MMS, address education in special populations, and highlight opportunities for improvement. Methods and materials: We performed a PubMed literature search with keywords “Mohs” and “education”, “teaching”, “understanding”, “explanation”, “preoperative”, or “consent” with no restriction on publication time frame due to literature scarcity. Results: Teledermatology consultation, MMS videos, 3D models, pamphlets/online materials, and shared medical appointments appear to be effective techniques (GRADE B). Analogies are also anecdotally helpful when integrated into traditional verbal education (GRADE C). The role of preoperative educational phone calls is more controversial (GRADE C). Conclusion: Regardless of the education technique utilized, no singular technique entirely replaces the traditional in-person discussion. Having access to multiple modalities can be beneficial for patients, allowing them options to choose their preferred method(s) of education. MMS is a difficult topic to conceptualize, and further research into educational techniques is needed to provide clear guidelines for Mohs surgeons.