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

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Public Health
• Healthcare Access

Background:

• South Dakota faced a significant shortage of dermatologists in 2019, with only 32 registered providers.
• Limited access to dermatologic care can result in delayed diagnoses, treatment, and disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether wait times to see a dermatologist differ between rural and urban areas in South Dakota.
• To assess patient-to-provider ratios in relation to dermatologic care accessibility.

Main Methods:

• Dermatology clinics across South Dakota were surveyed for wait time data.
• Urban areas were defined as having a population of 50,000 or more.
• An ideal patient-to-dermatologist ratio was set at four per 100,000 people.

Main Results:

• 75% of South Dakota dermatology clinics participated, with an even rural-urban distribution.
• No statistically significant difference was found in wait times 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 an exception.

Conclusions:

• The study did not support the hypothesis of longer wait times in rural versus urban South Dakota.
• Wait times exceeding six weeks were observed in both rural and urban settings.
• Further research is needed to identify solutions for improving timely access to dermatologic care despite adequate provider ratios.