Utility of a provider tool designed to facilitate discussion of seborrheic keratoses during general medical visits

SKIN: The Journal of Cutaneous Medicine® Incorporating Discussion of Seborrheic Keratoses During Primary Care Visits

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, May 2, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Seborrheic keratoses are a common, non-cancerous skin growth that affect approximately 83 million Americans. These lesions are generally harmless but can be cosmetically unappealing and distressing to patients, who often mistake them for cancer. However, it is not uncommon for patients to not voice their concerns about these lesions during general medical appointments.

A new article published today in SKIN: The Journal of Cutaneous Medicine® details a quality improvement project directed at examining a systematic method of addressing these lesions during primary care visits. In this report, Keith Wagner, MS, and co-authors from the University of Texas Medical Branch piloted a physician-directed questionnaire designed to be administered to patients who have seborrheic keratoses discovered on physical exam. The authors found that it was not uncommon for patients with seborrheic keratoses to have cancer concerns, but they were unlikely to address the lesions without prompting during appointments scheduled for other complaints.

According to Wagner, such a tool holds potential in ensuring streamlined attention to primary care patients with seborrheic keratoses. “Patients should be reassured that seborrheic keratoses are not cancer, and that if they are symptomatic, there are several minimally invasive and effective treatment options available,” says Wagner. Given the widespread prevalence of such lesions and the role of the primary care provider on the front lines of patient care, this provides a way for patients to better understand the nature of these benign, but sometimes concerning, lesions.


SKIN: The Journal of Cutaneous Medicine® is a peer-reviewed online medical journal that is the official journal of The National Society for Cutaneous Medicine. The mission of SKIN is to provide an enhanced and accelerated route to disseminate new dermatologic knowledge for all aspects of cutaneous disease.

For more details please visit www.jofskin.org or contact jofskin@gmail.com.

Link to article

(DOI: 10.25251/skin.2.3.7)

Keith D. Wagner, MS
The University of Texas Medical Branch
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