TOPLINE:
Combined pediatric dermatology-rheumatology clinics can improve patient care and patient satisfaction, a survey of dermatologists suggested.
METHODOLOGY:
Combined pediatric dermatology-rheumatology clinics can improve patient outcomes and experiences, particularly for pediatric autoimmune conditions presenting with both cutaneous and systemic manifestations.The researchers surveyed 208 pediatric dermatologists working in combined pediatric dermatology-rheumatology clinicsA total of 13 member responses were recorded from three countries: 10 from the United States, two from Mexico, and one from Canada.
TAKEAWAY:
Perceived benefits of combined clinics were improved patient care through coordinated treatment decisions and timely communication between providers.Patient satisfaction was favorable, and patients and families endorsed the combined clinic approach.Barriers to clinic establishment included differences in the pace between dermatology and rheumatology clinic flow, the need to generate more relative value units, resistance from colleagues, and limited time.Areas that needed improvement included more time for patient visits, dedicated research assistants, new patient referrals, additional patient rooms, resources for research, and patient care infrastructure.
IN PRACTICE:
The insights from this survey “will hopefully inspire further development of these combined clinics,” the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
The investigation, led by Olga S. Cherepakhin, BS, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, was recently published in Pediatric Dermatology.
LIMITATIONS:
Limitations included the subjective nature, lack of some information, selection bias, and small number of respondents, and the survey reflected the perspective of the pediatric dermatologists only.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. One author reported full-time employment at Janssen R&D, and the other authors had no disclosures.
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Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Medscape – https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/survey-highlights-benefits-pediatric-derm-rheum-clinics-2024a1000756
