Patterns of ambulatory care usage and leading treatments for rosacea

Abstract

Background: Millions of rosacea sufferers are not being treated, and the reasons they do not get treatment are not well characterized.

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the main reasons for visit, providers seen and treatments used for rosacea.

Methods: We used data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for 1993-2010, tabulating the leading reasons for visit, providers seen and treatments used in rosacea visits.

Results: There were 1 750 000 visits per year for rosacea. The leading reasons for visit were other diseases of the skin (25.3%), skin rash (19.6%), and discoloration or abnormal pigmentation (14.7%). Dermatologists managed 72.4% of visits. The most common treatments used were topical metronidazole (29.3%), tetracycline (11.0%), minocycline (8.5%), doxycycline (7.9%), and oral metronidazole (6.9%).

Limitations: Some reasons for visit were too nonspecific to provide good insight on why the patient made a visit.

Conclusions: Dermatologists manage rosacea most commonly, but primary care physicians need the proper training to diagnose it correctly. Improved strategies to reach untreated people with rosacea are needed.