Comfort, Interest, and Therapy Choices Differ Between Hidradenitis Suppurativa Experts and Non-Experts in Complex Cases

The levels of comfort and interest between experts and non-experts in treating moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) differ, according to a study published in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology.

“Although North American guidelines for HS management were recently published in 2019 from both the United States and Canadian HS Foundations, barriers to HS expertise among dermatologists still exist,” wrote corresponding author Casey Schukow, DO, Department of Pathology at Corewell Health in Royal Oak, Michigan, and coauthors. “We sought to identify the barriers to developing expertise in hidradenitis suppurativa among dermatologists through a survey of both HS experts and non-experts,” they added.

An online survey was conducted anonymously between June and September 2021, with 88 participants responding. Of respondents, 49 were HS experts, and 39 were non-experts. The results showed that HS experts were more comfortable treating moderate- and severe-disease and more interested in treating these types of HS cases than non-experts. They also demonstrated higher knowledge and experience with medical treatments for HS. On the other hand, non-experts were more likely to refer patients with moderate to severe HS to another dermatologist for treatment. Both experts and non-experts agreed when it came to identifying the obstacles that hinder the treatment of patients with HS.

“Identifying and addressing barriers to achieving expertise in the treatment of HS can help provide access to high quality care for patients with HS and reduce the health disparities they face,” concluded the study authors.

Reference

Schukow C, Townsend C, Jess N, Daveluy S. Identifying barriers to developing expertise in hidradenitis suppurativa. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2023;16(9):38-40.