Skin Diseases in Family Medicine: Prevalence and Health Care Use
Ann Fam Med Verhoeven et al.
6: 349
In Brief
Skin Diseases in Family Medicine: Prevalence and Health Care Use
Elisabeth W. M. Verhoeven
, and colleagues
Background This study examines the rate at which skin diseases occur and the use of health care facilities by patients with skin diseases. Data were collected in a network of family practices in the Netherlands with a practice population of 12,000 people.
What This Study Found Skin diseases account for 12% of all diseases seen by family physicians. Most patients' skin diseases are treated by their family physician. Patients with more severe skin disease and a lower quality of life seek more treatment.
Implications
- Paying extra attention to patients’ physical and psychosocial conditions might have beneficial consequences for dermatological treatment, for example, by increasing patient satisfaction with and adherence to treatment.
- More research is needed to better understand health care use and the effectiveness of health care facilities in treating specific skin diseases.
