Patients seen in a dermatology clinic have unmet preventive health care needs

Dermatologists provide special expertise in the care of patients with skin disease, whereas primary care providers have special expertise in preventive care. Patients bypassing their primary care provider to use dermatologists directly may miss an opportunity for identification of preventive health...

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Published inJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology Vol. 44; no. 4; pp. 706 - 709
Main Authors Feldman, Steven R., Ravis, Scott, Moran, William P., Fleischer, Alan B.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, NY Mosby, Inc 01.04.2001
Elsevier
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Dermatology
Female
Health Services Needs and Demand - statistics & numerical data
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Humans
Immunization
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Needs Assessment
North Carolina
Preventive Health Services - statistics & numerical data
Skin Diseases
Skin involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous. General aspects
Vitamins
United States
North America
America
North Carolina
Human
Need
Dermatology
Health
Consultation
Statistical study
Care
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Summary:Dermatologists provide special expertise in the care of patients with skin disease, whereas primary care providers have special expertise in preventive care. Patients bypassing their primary care provider to use dermatologists directly may miss an opportunity for identification of preventive health needs. We conducted a pilot study to determine whether patients seeing a dermatologist have unmet general preventive health care needs. A 1-page assessment was developed in accordance with the US Preventive Services Task Force guidelines and was distributed to a convenience sample of 161 patients in a dermatology clinic. Unmet needs were identified in the areas of screening tests, counseling, immunizations, vitamins, and replacement hormones. Of subjects aged 25 to 64 years, 94% without a primary care provider had unmet needs compared with 28% of subjects with a primary care provider. We found that patients seeing a dermatologist often had unmet preventive health needs. Dermatologists and primary care providers must work together to provide optimal skin care and preventive health care needs for the patient. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2001;44:706-9.)
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
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ISSN:0190-9622
1097-6787
DOI:10.1067/mjd.2001.112914