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Patient Satisfaction and Treatment Benefits of a Multidisciplinary Lymphedema Clinic
Shayan M. Sarrami, MD
Natasha Shah, BS
Casey Zhang, BS
Carolyn De La Cruz, MD
University of Pittsburgh
2024-01-15
Presenter: Shayan M. Sarrami
Affidavit:
I certify that the material proposed for presentation in this abstract has not been published in any scientific journal or previously presented at a major meeting. 100% of the work on this project is original work by the authors.
Director Name: Vu Nguyen
Author Category: Medical Student
Presentation Category: Clinical
Abstract Category: Breast (Aesthetic and Recon.)
Introduction:
Lymphedema management benefits greatly from a multidisciplinary practice because of the various treatments required to obtain optimal outcomes. Our clinic has several specialists offering non-surgical and surgical care. This study assess how patient experiences at our multidisciplinary clinic compares to their previous lymphedema care and identifies specific benefits and areas for improvement.
Methods:
We surveyed new patients presenting to our multidisciplinary lymphedema clinic in October-November 2023. Prior to clinic, patients rated their previous experiences with lymphedema care. Patients then rated the multidisciplinary model after clinic. Paired sample t-tests compared patient survey responses. Student's t-tests compared questions assessing specialized care, education, and satisfaction with care.
Results:
We received responses from 18 patients. Patients were significantly more satisfied with care from our multidisciplinary clinic than from previous providers (p=0.016). Patient responses after clinic visits showed they had improved confidence in their diagnosis (p=0.006), felt they had more complete care (p=0.009), and a reduced waiting time (p=0.038). Ratings were similar between our clinic and prior treatment when assessing staff friendliness (p=0.055), and if the patient felt rushed (p=0.052) or ignored (p=0.074). When assessing questions related to the level of specialized care, education, and satisfaction with care, the multidisciplinary model showed significantly better results (p-values<0.001).
Conclusion:
We found patients preferred our multidisciplinary clinic because of the resources and specialists available to ensure proper treatment and education. The multidisciplinary model requires multiple providers, which may make patients feel rushed and unheard. Understanding these results can help improve this holistic model of patient care.
