Dermatosurgery: Total Quality Management in a Dermatology Department

Background: Dermatosurgery (DS) is a growing sector in dermatology. Performance measurement is organized worldwide to improve the quality of health care. Clinical audit relies on self-assessment, comparison with guidelines, frames of references and implementation of improvement actions. Objective: To assess the efficiency of our DS department. Methods: A clinical audit focusing on the organization of the DS unit, patient routing, continuing medical education and training for students was conducted by two external auditors. After an initial evaluation, improvements were implemented and reassessed 1 year later by the same auditors. Results: The audit resulted in the implementation of preoperative consultation, improved pre- and postoperative information leaflets for patients, standardizing of surgery reports, earmarking of funds for materials, and patient satisfaction survey. The training of residents was organized. Conclusion: This audit was a driving force for communication among the medical and paramedical teams and helped improve patient care and training of residents in DS. It also highlighted areas needing further improvement.