Nosological Profile of Dermatological Diseases in Primary Health Care and Dermatology Secondary Care in Florianópolis (2016–2017)
TLDR Primary health care in Florianópolis mostly treated simple skin conditions, while secondary care handled more complex skin diseases.
The 2020 study analyzed 55,265 medical visits in primary health care (PHC) and 19,964 visits in dermatology secondary care in Florianópolis, Brazil, from 2016 to 2017. It found that PHC dealt primarily with less complex conditions such as Atopic dermatitis (6.38%), other disorders of skin (5.10%), and Scabies (4.55%), while secondary care addressed more complex diseases like "Other malignant neoplasms of the skin" (14.75%) and "Skin changes due to chronic exposure to nonionizing radiation" (10.20%). The study highlighted the distinct roles of GPs and dermatologists, emphasizing the importance of integrated care for efficient referrals and early diagnosis of complex conditions. It also noted a higher prevalence of certain diseases in public health services and faced limitations due to potential under-registration and non-specific diagnoses in PHC. The authors suggest that GPs are key in managing common dermatological conditions and that dermatologists are essential for specialized clinical care.
