Assessing and Improving Patient Knowledge About Keloid Scars (Keloids)

Assessing and Improving Patient Knowledge About Keloids

The purpose of this study is:

• to identify how knowledge about keloid scars and self-treatments differs between patients who use the Internet as a source of information and patients who do not
• to determine if patients who are at a high risk of developing additional keloid scars are more or less likely to change their behavior based on an educational information talk about keloid scar prevention

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Keloid Scar
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Scripted lecture ("educational information talk")

Detailed Description

Keloids scars differ from other scar types in that they grow beyond the borders of the injury that caused them. Patients with darker pigmented skin are more likely to develop keloids, and blacks are especially predisposed to keloid formation. Treatment options for keloids are limited in that new keloids often form at the treated location. The limited efficacy of professional treatment options and the harmless appearance of small keloid scars may lead a patient to try to manage their keloid scars on their own. One source of information that patients may turn to for self-treatment advice is the Internet.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611
      • Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects with a clinical diagnosis of keloid scarring
• Subjects over the age of 18

Exclusion Criteria:

• That which does not fit the inclusion criteria

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: keloid scar; Those with a diagnosis of keloid scar.	Behavioral: Scripted lecture ("educational information talk"); This scripted lecture will be approximately 5 minutes in length and will include 3 picture examples of keloid and hypertrophic scarring as well as an opportunity to ask questions.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
To Assess the Impact of an Educational Lecture on Knowledge About Keloid Scars by Comparing Mean Scores Between Knowledge Assessment Questionnaires Administered Before an Educational Lecture and Immediately After an Educational Lecture	All subjects completed a written questionnaire to assess knowledge about keloid scars before an educational lecture about keloids, immediately after the educational lecture about keloids, and 3 months after the educational lecture about keloids. This written questionnaire to assess knowledge about keloid scars contained 19 questions related to risk factors for developing keloid scars, keloid scar prevention, and keloid scar treatment. A correct response to a question was awarded 1 point and all correct responses were summed to achieve a total score. Possible total score ranged from 0 to 19. A score of 0 is associated with worse knowledge about keloid scars and a score of 19 is associated with better knowledge about keloid scars.	immediately before and after a 5 minute educational lecture

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
To Assess the Impact of an Educational Lecture on Long-term Knowledge Retention About Keloid Scars by Comparing Mean Scores Between Knowledge Assessment Questionnaires Administered Before an Educational Lecture and 3 Months After an Educational Lecture	All subjects completed a written questionnaire to assess knowledge about keloid scars before an educational lecture about keloids, immediately after the educational lecture about keloids, and 3 months after the educational lecture about keloids. This written questionnaire to assess knowledge about keloid scars contained 19 questions related to risk factors for developing keloid scars, keloid scar prevention, and keloid scar treatment. A correct response to a question was awarded 1 point and all correct responses were summed to achieve a total score. Possible total score ranged from 0 to 19. A score of 0 is associated with worse knowledge about keloid scars and a score of 19 is associated with better knowledge about keloid scars.	before and 3 months after a 5 minute educational lecture

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Northwestern University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Roopal V Kundu, MD, Northwestern University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Shaffer JJ, Taylor SC, Cook-Bolden F. Keloidal scars: a review with a critical look at therapeutic options. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2002 Feb;46(2 Suppl Understanding):S63-97. doi: 10.1067/mjd.2002.120788.
• Juckett G, Hartman-Adams H. Management of keloids and hypertrophic scars. Am Fam Physician. 2009 Aug 1;80(3):253-60.
• Sclafani AP, Gordon L, Chadha M, Romo T 3rd. Prevention of earlobe keloid recurrence with postoperative corticosteroid injections versus radiation therapy: a randomized, prospective study and review of the literature. Dermatol Surg. 1996 Jun;22(6):569-74. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-4725.1996.tb00376.x.
• Shinchuk LM, Chiou P, Czarnowski V, Meleger AL. Demographics and attitudes of chronic-pain patients who seek online pain-related medical information: implications for healthcare providers. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2010 Feb;89(2):141-6. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0b013e3181c56938.

Helpful Links

• Northwestern University Department of Dermatology Actively Enrolling Research Trials

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: August 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 30, 2010
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 4, 2010
• First Posted (Estimate): August 6, 2010

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): January 3, 2013
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 30, 2012
• Last Verified: November 1, 2012

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Connective Tissue Diseases; Fibrosis; Cicatrix; Collagen Diseases; Keloid
• Other Study ID Numbers: STU32316