South Dakota Dermatology: Urban vs Rural Wait Times Survey and Dermatologist Density

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Health Services Research
• Rural Health

Background:

• South Dakota faced a significant shortage of dermatologists in 2019, with a ratio of 1 per 27,569 people.
• Inaccessible dermatologic care due to long wait times can cause diagnostic delays and disease progression.
• Factors influencing wait times include socioeconomic status, provider distribution, and patient-to-provider ratios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether wait times to see a dermatologist differ between rural and urban areas in South Dakota.
• To compare patient-to-provider ratios in South Dakota's urban and rural settings.

Main Methods:

• Dermatology clinics across South Dakota were surveyed for wait times.
• An internet search identified dermatology providers to establish urban/rural classifications.
• Urban areas were defined as having populations ≥50,000; an ideal ratio was set at 4 dermatologists per 100,000 people.

Main Results:

• 75% of South Dakota dermatology clinics participated, with equal rural and urban representation.
• No statistically significant difference in wait times was found for new (p=0.787) or established patients (p=0.461) between rural and urban clinics.
• Most South Dakota cities met the target patient-to-dermatologist ratio, with Dakota Dunes being the exception.

Conclusions:

• The hypothesis that rural wait times exceed urban wait times for dermatologists was not supported by the data.
• Wait times exceeding six weeks were observed in both rural and urban clinics, indicating broader access issues.
• Further research is needed to identify strategies for improving timely access to dermatologic care despite adequate provider ratios.