The Distribution of Dermatologists in the Philippines

Abstract

Background: Equitable health manpower distribution is essential for the successful implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) program by the Philippine Department of Health. Mapping the distribution and profile of dermatologists in the Philippines can improve Filipinos' access to skin disease treatment.

Methods: A review of the database of dermatologists from the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) members' directory (as of November 2023), as well as the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) database (as of July 2023), was conducted. The distribution of PDS-accredited dermatologists was analyzed by geographic location, demographic profile (age and sex), density (per 100,000 people), and the dermatologist-to-general practitioner (GP) ratio. Heatmaps illustrating the distribution of dermatologists in the Philippines and the ratio of PhilHealth-accredited PDS board-certified dermatologists to GPs were created.

Results: Out of 1389 PDS board-certified dermatologists, 1345 resided in the Philippines. The majority were women (1221/1345, 90.78%), with a median age of 47 years (range: 23 to 85). More than half were practicing in the National Capital Region (NCR) (684/1345, 50.86%). The overall dermatologist density was approximately 1 per 100,000 people (1.19); it was highest for the Luzon Island group (1.54) (NCR, 4.80) and lowest for the Mindanao Island group (0.27; the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao or BARMM, 0.04). Less than one-third (396/1345, 29.44%) of dermatologists were PhilHealth-accredited, with a density of 0.35 dermatologists per 100,000 people. Out of 45218 PhilHealth-accredited physicians, 396 (0.88%) were dermatologists while 11748 (25.98%) were GPs. The overall dermatologist-to-GP ratio among PhilHealth-accredited physicians was 1:30; it was highest in the Luzon Island group (1:20) and lowest in the Mindanao Island group (1:118).

Conclusion: The Philippines lacks dermatologists in regions outside the NCR. The majority are women, and few are PhilHealth-accredited. The dermatologist-to-GP ratio among PhilHealth-accredited physicians is low. Dermatology training programs should encourage more applicants, especially men, and prioritize applicants from underserved regions.

Keywords: dermatologist; geographic distribution; health manpower; health workforce; philippines.

Figure 1. Heatmap showing the distribution of PDS board-certified dermatologists in the Philippines and the midyear population per province as of 2023

^aNCR second district ^bCavite ^cRizal ^dDavao del Sur Circles represent the population per province, with larger circles representing larger populations. Shading of the circle represents the number of dermatologists within the province, with darker shades representing more dermatologists. Thus, a darker, smaller circle represents a greater density of dermatologists. PDS: Philippine Dermatological Society

Figure 2. Heatmap showing the ratio of PhilHealth-accredited PDS board-certified dermatologists to general practitioners as of 2023

^aRizal ^bLaguna ^cCavite ^dDavao del Sur Circles represent the number of PhilHealth-accredited general practitioners per region, with larger circles representing a larger number. Shading of the circle represents the number of PhilHealth-accredited dermatologists within the region, with darker shades representing more dermatologists. Thus, a darker, smaller circle represents a higher dermatologist-to-general practitioner ratio.

Figure 3. Comparison of the distribution of male and female dermatologists in selected countries

Figure 4. Comparison of dermatologists per 100,000 population in the Philippines versus selected countries