Epidemiology of Skin Diseases in a Diverse Patient Population

Abstract

Background: Epidemiologic studies of patients who present to dermatology clinics are necessary to identify the needs of patients.

Objective: To quantify and compare diagnoses according to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES) at 6 general dermatology clinics from January 2013 to December 2016.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of new patients was established using an electronic medical record database. Primary diagnoses and diagnostic codes were recorded. Geocoding was utilized to obtain SES.

Results: There were 65969 new patient visits. Racial and ethnic demographics were obtained with the overall top 3 conditions being eczema or dermatitis, benign skin neoplasm, and adnexal disease. In blacks, however, follicular disorders were the third most common condition seen. The most frequently encountered diagnoses at the clinics with the highest and lowest SES were benign skin neoplasm and eczema or dermatitis, respectively.

Limitations: Only primary diagnoses were included in analysis. Determining one's race is increasingly difficult.

Conclusion: Follicular disorders occurred with an increased frequency in blacks. When examining SES, eczema or dermatitis was the most frequently encountered primary diagnosis at the clinic with the lowest SES, with benign skin neoplasm seen with the highest frequency at the clinic with the highest SES. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(10):1032-1036.