Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Dermatology Office Visits among Insured Patients, 2005-2010

The study analyzed data from 2005-2010 to assess racial and ethnic disparities in dermatology office visits among insured patients. It found that dermatology visit utilization increased among insured Hispanics but not among insured non-Hispanic Blacks or whites. Visits were less frequent for those with public insurance compared to private insurance. After adjusting for demographics and primary visit diagnosis, non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics had fewer visits than whites. The disparities were most evident in non-referred visits, despite similar primary diagnoses across races and ethnicities, suggesting that factors unrelated to clinical needs, such as patient preferences or health system factors like insurance coverage, may have influenced these differences.