Psychocutaneous medicine: current global understanding and imperatives for continuing medical education and training...

The intersection of dermatology and psychiatry has gained significant attention in recent years. Psychocutaneous disease affects patient populations who have undiagnosed and undertreated ailments related to the body and mind. These patients have a reduced quality of life due to knowledge gaps and reduced awareness about psychodermatology. This review aims to assess the integration of psychopharmacology topics into continuing medical education (CME) programmes. The review will cover the relevance of CME in clinical practice, its impact on healthcare professionals' quality of care, and existing knowledge gaps among trainees and young dermatologists. To identify data from inception up to December 2023, a systematic literature review and search was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023494609). The PubMed, Cochrane and Embase databases were searched using predefined terms including 'continuing medical education', 'dermatology', 'psychology', 'psychodermatology', 'psychocutaneous', 'awareness' and 'practice patterns'. Inclusion criteria comprised studies evaluating CME programmes, clinical studies and reviews; and publications in the English language. Studies were excluded if they were single case reports. In total, 93 studies were identified, and 12 were included in this review following screening, removal of duplicates and application of the inclusion criteria. The studies revealed lower levels of confidence among professionals in handling psychocutaneous conditions, limited awareness of available resources and high interest in CME programmes. Initiatives like video mentoring and clinical skills lessons showed promise but are currently scarce. Examined data from selected studies demonstrate that current CME programmes in psychodermatology lack depth, leaving practitioners feeling ill equipped and unaware of available resources. There is substantial global interest in enhancing these programmes. Given the breadth of conditions covered, educating dermatologists is crucial for enhanced patient outcomes and satisfaction. Addressing resource scarcity and patient stigma is imperative to developing specialized programmes. Improvement to education can drive stronger outcomes and holistic patient care. Future efforts should prioritize refining programme strategies and conducting thorough assessments to maximize impact.