Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT, USA.
Department of Dermatology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
Pediatr Dermatol. 2021 Nov;38(6):1523-1528. doi: 10.1111/pde.14824. Epub 2021 Oct 14.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Up to 30% of pediatric primary care visits include a cutaneous complaint, yet the pediatric dermatology workforce has historically been too small to provide adequate specialized care. This study assesses the geographic distribution of pediatric dermatologists to determine physician-to-patient ratios, analyzes urban-rural disparities, and determines post-fellowship migration patterns.
Board-certified pediatric dermatologists were identified using the Society for Pediatric Dermatology's public database, and their demographics and credentials were subsequently verified by an online search. Analysis included physician density per 100 000 children for each state and region, along with geographic distribution for rural and urban areas, based on the United States Census Bureau's definitions. The distances between practice locations and the American Board of Dermatology-approved Pediatric Dermatology fellowship training sites were reviewed.
An estimated 336 board-certified pediatric dermatologists currently work in the United States with 76.8% being women and 71.1% practicing within 50 miles of the nearest fellowship program. 96.4% are located in urban areas and 3.6% in rural areas with an average ratio of 0.54 and 0.09 per 100 000 children, respectively. The average ratio of pediatric dermatologists in the United States was 0.46 per 100 000 children. On average (standard deviation), there are 6.6 (8.8) pediatric dermatologists per state but with 7 states having zero.
The demand for pediatric dermatologists continues to outpace the current physician availability with a disparity between urban and rural areas. Further awareness and emphasis on training and recruitment of additional pediatric dermatologists are essential to addressing this important issue.
背景/目的：高达 30%的儿科初级保健就诊包括皮肤投诉，但儿科皮肤科医生的劳动力历来太小，无法提供足够的专业护理。本研究评估了儿科皮肤科医生的地理分布，以确定医生与患者的比例，分析城乡差距，并确定毕业后的迁移模式。
使用儿科皮肤科医师学会的公共数据库确定了委员会认证的儿科皮肤科医生，随后通过在线搜索验证了他们的人口统计学和资格。分析包括每个州和地区每 100000 名儿童的医生密度，以及根据美国人口普查局的定义对农村和城市地区的地理分布。审查了实践地点与美国皮肤病学会批准的儿科皮肤科住院医师培训地点之间的距离。
目前估计有 336 名经委员会认证的儿科皮肤科医生在美国工作，其中 76.8%为女性，71.1%在距离最近的 fellowship 项目 50 英里范围内执业。96.4%位于城市地区，3.6%位于农村地区，平均比例分别为每 100000 名儿童 0.54 和 0.09。美国儿科皮肤科医生的平均比例为每 100000 名儿童 0.46。平均（标准差），每个州有 6.6（8.8）名儿科皮肤科医生，但有 7 个州没有。
对儿科皮肤科医生的需求继续超过当前医生的可用性，城乡之间存在差异。进一步提高对培训和招聘更多儿科皮肤科医生的认识和重视，对于解决这一重要问题至关重要。
