Do generalists and specialists agree on descriptive acne morphology?

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• General Practice
• Medical Education

Background:

• Acne is a prevalent skin condition requiring accurate morphological assessment for effective treatment.
• Clinical guidelines for acne management rely on precise identification of acne morphology.
• Consistent assessment of acne morphology is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment across specialties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the congruence of acne morphology assessment between General Practitioners (GPs) and Dermatologists (DPs) against expert evaluations.
• To quantify the variation in acne morphology assessment among GPs and DPs.

Main Methods:

• A 2008-2009 study involved a Danish online questionnaire for randomly selected GPs and DPs.
• Participants assessed seven cases with digital photos and clinical histories, selecting morphology from a closed list.
• Congruence and variation were analyzed against expert assessments using statistical methods like odds ratios and Fisher's exact test.

Main Results:

• 355 GPs and 99 DPs participated out of 1700 GPs and 110 DPs invited.
• Dermatologists demonstrated higher agreement with expert assessments across all seven cases compared to GPs.
• General Practitioners showed a wider range of responses, indicating less consistency in their assessments.

Conclusions:

• General Practitioners less accurately identified acne morphology and severity hallmarks compared to Dermatologists.
• Dermatologists exhibited greater consistency and congruence with expert opinion in acne morphology assessment.
• Findings highlight a disparity in acne morphology assessment skills between GPs and DPs, impacting clinical practice.