Socioeconomic and Racial Disparities in Dermatology Services

Latinos and African-Americans are less likely to be treated for dermatologic conditions than non-Latino white patients, and the same goes for low income males in the Midwest, according to a recent investigation published in JAMA Dermatology.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and Cleveland Medical Center looked at records of dermatologic condition outcomes from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) between the years of 2007 and 2015. The average patient age was 34, and 52.1 percent of records belonged to women. The researchers found that those with a bachelor's degree were more likely to seek out dermatology services than those who only completed some college courses, had a high school diploma, or a GED. White people had higher rates of visiting an outpatient dermatology clinic than African-Americans and Latinos. Patients with private insurance were more likely to visit a dermatologist than those covered by Medicare or Medicaid and people without insurance.

Geography plays an important factor in a patient’s skin health. The researchers also found that people in the Northeast received more frequent dermatology services than those living in Midwestern states. In some Midwest regions, there isn’t a single dermatologist per 100,000 residents. The researchers theorize that clinical dermatology marketing campaigns largely focus on skin cancer instead of inflammatory and infectious diseases, practices which could indirectly exclude minorities, younger and low-income patients. They also explain that clinics that provide free or subsidized care often lack dermatology services, which can “greatly complicate the referral process and worsen patient outcomes.”