Are skin lesion superclinics associated with decision fatigue? A controlled, observational study

Skin cancer superclinics have been proposed as an innovative solution to current capacity shortfalls. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this model was associated with decision fatigue. Consecutive patients with suspected skin cancer who attended a superclinic in 2022 were compared with patients seen by the same clinician in standard clinics. Proxy markers of decision fatigue were cancer pickup rates and the proportion of patients discharged without histology following their initial clinic visit. Of 345 patients seen in superclinics, 100 (29.0%) had an ultimate diagnosis of skin malignancy vs. 161 of 588 patients (27.4%) seen in standard clinics (P = 0.598). Among the superclinic patients, 47.0% (n = 162/345) were discharged without intervention vs. 50.0% (n = 294/588) of patients in the standard clinic group (P = 0.369). The superclinic model did not appear to be associated with decision fatigue in the one clinician studied and proved a safe and effective means of providing clinical care, improving capacity and delivering training.