Patient Interest in Dermatologists in the United States: A 20-Year Google Trends and Workforce Analysis

Dermatologists remain unevenly distributed throughout the United States (US), leading to disparities in access to dermatologic care.

To evaluate geographic variation in patient interest in dermatology services and compare it to dermatologist supply to identify areas of potential unmet need.

An ecological, cross-sectional study was conducted using Google Trends data from 2004 to 2023 to assess relative search volume (RSV) for "dermatologist" across US states. RSV was normalized and combined with dermatologist density data from the AAMC to generate a Relative Demand Index (RDI) for each state. Spearman's rank correlation assessed associations between RDI, dermatologist supply, urbanization, and population size.

States with high RDI, such as Alabama and Mississippi, had high patient interest but low dermatologist density, suggesting workforce shortages. Conversely, states like Massachusetts and the District of Columbia had low RDI and high provider density. RDI showed a strong inverse correlation with dermatologist density (rs = -0.76, P<0.0001).

This study relied on a keyword, Google-only search data, and assumed internet access. County-level nuances were not captured.

Significant geographic disparities in dermatologist availability and demand exist, highlighting the need for targeted workforce distribution strategies to ensure equitable access to dermatologic care.  .