Enhancing Outcomes and Efficiency in Large Epidermal Cyst Management: Quality Improvement Approach in Primary Care
Background: Epidermal cysts are common benign lesions encountered in primary care, especially in minor surgery clinics. The management of large epidermal cysts (>5 cm in diameter) poses significant challenges, including surgical intervention requirements, potential for complications, and impacts...
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MDPI AG
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Clinics and Practice |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2039-7283/14/6/190 |
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| author | Waseem Jerjes Pratik Ramkumar Yousuf Yaqub |
| author_facet | Waseem Jerjes Pratik Ramkumar Yousuf Yaqub |
| author_sort | Waseem Jerjes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Epidermal cysts are common benign lesions encountered in primary care, especially in minor surgery clinics. The management of large epidermal cysts (>5 cm in diameter) poses significant challenges, including surgical intervention requirements, potential for complications, and impacts on patient care and clinic workflow. The prevalence of these cysts underlines the need for optimised management strategies that are essential for enhancing patient outcomes and clinic efficiency. This quality improvement initiative sought to better manage large epidermal cysts in primary care settings. Patients and methods: The initiative utilised the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle over three distinct phases, with an emphasis on improving surgical techniques and postoperative care, optimising clinic workflow, and enhancing patient education and involvement. Over the course of this eighteen-month study, 100 patients who required surgical excision of large epidermal cysts were included. The interventions focused on standardising surgical protocols, implementing a new scheduling system, and developing comprehensive educational materials for patients. Results: The programme contributed to major efficiency gains for surgeries: the average operative time was reduced from 45 min to 30. The postoperative complication rate decreased dramatically while patient and clinician satisfaction went up, as did clinic throughput. With patient education enhancements, follow-up adherence rose to 92% while the postoperative complication rate declined from 18% to 9% with the overall approach to patient engagement. Conclusions: The successful application of the PDSA cycles in this work demonstrates that quality improvement methodologies have a potential role in optimising management for large epidermal cysts in primary care settings. Developed interventions can therefore be put into routine care that will indeed improve patient outcome, clinician experience, and operational efficiency in minor surgery clinics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-34f35232084746719ca80354eabae94e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2039-7283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinics and Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-34f35232084746719ca80354eabae94e2025-08-20T02:00:41ZengMDPI AGClinics and Practice2039-72832024-11-011462433244410.3390/clinpract14060190Enhancing Outcomes and Efficiency in Large Epidermal Cyst Management: Quality Improvement Approach in Primary CareWaseem Jerjes0Pratik Ramkumar1Yousuf Yaqub2Research and Development Unit, Hammersmith and Fulham Primary Care Network, London W6 7HY, UKFaculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 5NH, UKFaculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 5NH, UKBackground: Epidermal cysts are common benign lesions encountered in primary care, especially in minor surgery clinics. The management of large epidermal cysts (>5 cm in diameter) poses significant challenges, including surgical intervention requirements, potential for complications, and impacts on patient care and clinic workflow. The prevalence of these cysts underlines the need for optimised management strategies that are essential for enhancing patient outcomes and clinic efficiency. This quality improvement initiative sought to better manage large epidermal cysts in primary care settings. Patients and methods: The initiative utilised the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle over three distinct phases, with an emphasis on improving surgical techniques and postoperative care, optimising clinic workflow, and enhancing patient education and involvement. Over the course of this eighteen-month study, 100 patients who required surgical excision of large epidermal cysts were included. The interventions focused on standardising surgical protocols, implementing a new scheduling system, and developing comprehensive educational materials for patients. Results: The programme contributed to major efficiency gains for surgeries: the average operative time was reduced from 45 min to 30. The postoperative complication rate decreased dramatically while patient and clinician satisfaction went up, as did clinic throughput. With patient education enhancements, follow-up adherence rose to 92% while the postoperative complication rate declined from 18% to 9% with the overall approach to patient engagement. Conclusions: The successful application of the PDSA cycles in this work demonstrates that quality improvement methodologies have a potential role in optimising management for large epidermal cysts in primary care settings. Developed interventions can therefore be put into routine care that will indeed improve patient outcome, clinician experience, and operational efficiency in minor surgery clinics.https://www.mdpi.com/2039-7283/14/6/190surgical outcomesclinical efficiencypatient engagementpostoperative careworkflow optimisation |
| spellingShingle | Waseem Jerjes Pratik Ramkumar Yousuf Yaqub Enhancing Outcomes and Efficiency in Large Epidermal Cyst Management: Quality Improvement Approach in Primary Care Clinics and Practice surgical outcomes clinical efficiency patient engagement postoperative care workflow optimisation |
| title | Enhancing Outcomes and Efficiency in Large Epidermal Cyst Management: Quality Improvement Approach in Primary Care |
| title_full | Enhancing Outcomes and Efficiency in Large Epidermal Cyst Management: Quality Improvement Approach in Primary Care |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing Outcomes and Efficiency in Large Epidermal Cyst Management: Quality Improvement Approach in Primary Care |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing Outcomes and Efficiency in Large Epidermal Cyst Management: Quality Improvement Approach in Primary Care |
| title_short | Enhancing Outcomes and Efficiency in Large Epidermal Cyst Management: Quality Improvement Approach in Primary Care |
| title_sort | enhancing outcomes and efficiency in large epidermal cyst management quality improvement approach in primary care |
| topic | surgical outcomes clinical efficiency patient engagement postoperative care workflow optimisation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2039-7283/14/6/190 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT waseemjerjes enhancingoutcomesandefficiencyinlargeepidermalcystmanagementqualityimprovementapproachinprimarycare AT pratikramkumar enhancingoutcomesandefficiencyinlargeepidermalcystmanagementqualityimprovementapproachinprimarycare AT yousufyaqub enhancingoutcomesandefficiencyinlargeepidermalcystmanagementqualityimprovementapproachinprimarycare |