Related Experiment Videos
Office-based care of dermatologic disease
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
|February 1, 1986
Summary
Dermatologists saw a growing share of patients for skin conditions between 1974-1981. Despite this, the average number of patient visits per dermatologist decreased due to more practicing dermatologists.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Office-based physician visits for dermatologic complaints remained stable from 1974 to 1981.
- During this period, dermatologists' market share for these complaints increased from 33% to 50%.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in dermatologic patient visits and dermatologist practice patterns.
- To identify key diagnoses driving patient visits to dermatologists.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of national survey data on office-based physician visits.
- Examination of patient demographics and diagnostic categories.
Main Results:
- The number of visits per dermatologist declined due to an increase in the number of practicing dermatologists.
- Acne, warts, and skin tumors accounted for nearly half of all dermatology visits in 1980-1981.
Conclusions:
- Increased competition is anticipated for common dermatologic conditions.
- Future challenges for dermatologists include practice structure changes, a growing number of specialists, and an aging population potentially impacting patient volumes.