Organizational Readiness for Patient-Facing Mobile Teledermatology to Care for Established Veteran Patients in the United States.

Purpose: To improve patient access to skin care, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) developed a patient-facing asynchronous mobile teledermatology application (app), which allows patients to follow up remotely with dermatologists. To understand how the app would be received in VA, we examined Organizational Readiness for Change (ORC), an important prelude to effective implementation, which includes the shared resolve and collective ability of organizational members to implement a change. Methods: We used a mixed-methods multiple case study approach to assess ORC at three VA facilities. Data derived from a site process call, surveys, and semistructured telephone interviews of VA staff, field notes, and administrative data. Results: Participants at all three facilities supported the intervention and recognized the value of using the app to increase patients' access to dermatologists, but expressed concerns largely related to disruption of the pre-existing clinical workflow. Participants at the facility most actively using the app had the highest overall ORC score and reported the most facilitators. Facility leadership support when guided by a clinical champion minimized barriers by recognizing the complexities of health care provision at specialty clinics. Discussion: While provider buy-in remained a barrier, leadership, guided by the clinical champion, played a critical role instituting implementation strategies. The strong association between the ORC survey score and the presence of facilitators and barriers suggests that the ORC survey may be a rapid, convenient, and effective tool for health care systems to identify favorable sites for wider implementation of mobile telehealth care. Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT03241589.

Aminolevulinic Acid-Photodynamic Therapy for Erosive Pustular Dermatosis of the Scalp: Comparison of Two Treatment Protocols and Participant Satisfaction.

Treatment of erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp (EPDS) is challenging. Topical and systemic medications have achieved limited success, and destructive modalities have been associated with EPDS recurrence because of the tendency of the condition to recur after any treatment that induces trauma to the skin. Our group has have recently reported two series of EPDS treated with aminolevulinic acid-photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT). Here, we aimed at comparing the protocols utilized in those series regarding efficacy, cost, and patient satisfaction. The first protocol included one visit for curettage of the hyperkeratosis and a second one for ALA-PDT. The revised (second) protocol included all procedures (curettage and ALA-PDT) in one visit. A novel silicone gel was applied immediately after completion of PDT, and patients were instructed to apply it twice daily over the treated areas until their follow-up visit. Both protocols were efficacious and provided similar length of remission. The second protocol was less costly. Patients treated using the second protocol were more satisfied due to the ease of treatment completion in one visit and better postoperative healing. (SKINmed. 2022;20:107-112).

Antidiabetic Treatment in Patients at High Risk for a Subsequent Keratinocyte Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Metformin and sulfonylureas are the most commonly prescribed drugs used for the treatment of type II diabetes. Type II diabetes has been linked to the development of keratinocyte carcinoma (KC), consisting of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Previously we have demonstrated lower risk for a subsequent KC in metformin users. In this study, we aim to investigate the association between sulfonylureas use and the development of KC in patients with KC history. We performed a retrospective cohort study of the Veterans Affairs Keratinocyte Carcinoma Chemoprevention Trial, which was a randomized double-blind vehicle-control cream originally investigating the effect of 5-fluorouracil on KC development. 932 patients with a history of KC were enrolled (98% male, 99% white, median age of 70 years) and followed for a median duration of 2.8 years. 153 patients were on metformin and 94 on sulfonylureas. We performed a survival analysis with cox regression and controlled for body mass index and known predictors: number of prior BCCs and age (for BCC) and for number of prior SCCs (invasive and in situ), number of actinic keratoses at baseline (for SCC). Sulfonylurea-users com-pared to non-users had a HR of 0.67 (CI: 0.40–1.56; P=0.49) and 0.94 (CI: 0.63–1.40; P= 0.77), for SCC and BCC, respectively. Diabetic patients at high risk for KC might benefit from the use of metformin versus sulfonylureas. J Drugs Dermatol. 2022;21(5):502-505. doi:10.36849/JDD.6087.

Simvastatin in vitiligo: an update with recent review of the literature.

Patients with vitiligo often seek medical attention, as it diminishes their quality of life resulting in significant morbidity. Several topical and systemic therapies are in vogue targeting the immunological aspect of this disease, but results are often unsatisfactory, and complete cure remains elusive. Recently, simvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylyglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, is being evaluated for vitiligo management because of its multimodal action, easy availability, and low cost. The proposed multimodal actions range from anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, to immunomodulatory properties which may be of therapeutic benefit in vitiligo patients. The authors intend to evaluate the role of simvastatin as a novel therapeutic agent for vitiligo along with relevant review of literature.

Increased Interest for Mindfulness Online.

BACKGROUND: "Mindfulness is the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment non-judgmentally" as defined by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. Mindfulness has been practiced for centuries in various traditions and religions. During the last decade, mindfulness has been implemented in clinical trials, psychotherapy, vacation retreats, and even in technology with smartphone applications. AIMS: The aim of this manuscript is to study the interest in mindfulness online. METHODS: A Google Trends analysis was performed for the years 2004-2020, worldwide. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase for the term "mindfulness" for the period studied (ß: 2.14, 95%, confidence interval: 1.96-2.32, P < 0.001). Countries that searched for the term the most were Ireland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, and New Zealand, while the continent of Africa had the lowest searches. Searches for mindfulness peaked in April 2020, which is possible because of the anxiety caused worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The observed increase in the interest for mindfulness might reflect society's need for grounding and improving quality of life. High-quality clinical studies are necessary to answer questions about the mechanism in which mindfulness improves symptoms and how it can be incorporated into modern treatment plans.

The association of metformin use with keratinocyte carcinoma development in high-risk patients.

Keratinocyte carcinoma (KC) is the most common malignancy in white skinned populations. Metformin one of the most commonly prescribed drugs and has been reported to protect against solid cancers. The association between metformin and KC has not been studied in patients at high risk for a subsequent KC. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between metformin and KC development in high-risk patients. We performed a secondary analysis of patients enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Keratinocyte Carcinoma Chemoprevention Trial to compare risk for KC development between metformin users and non-users. Metformin-users compared to non-users had a significantly lower risk for squamous cell carcinoma with an adjusted Hazard ratio (HR): 0.45, (CI: 0.24-0.84, P < .01) and basal cell carcinoma (HR: 0.70, CI: 0.49-0.97, P < .03). Patients at high risk might benefit from metformin use against a subsequent KC.

Psychiatric comorbidities in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by painful recurrent inflammatory nodules, leading to the formation of abscesses and scarring. In this article, we aim to review the psychiatric comorbidities in HS patients. It is estimated that one in four adults with HS suffers from depression and one out of five patients HS patients has anxiety. Bipolar disorders, psychoses, schizophrenia, and suicide are more common in HS patients than healthy individuals. Given the high rates of psychiatric comorbidities in HS patients, a psychosocial evaluation at an early visit could be a great tool for monitoring patients experiencing emotional burden. Referrals to psychiatric specialists, psychologists, and behavioral counselors are a part of a multidisciplinary approach recommended for the management of HS.

Keratinocyte Carcinoma Mortality in the United States as Reported in Death Certificates, 2011-2017.

BACKROUND: Keratinocyte carcinoma (KC) mortality is relatively modest and its measures are subject to considerable error. Deaths due to KC have been decreasing through 2000 and were relatively stable until 2010. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the KC mortality rates (MRs) from 2011 to 2017 in USA based on death certificates. METHODS: A population-based analysis of Center of Disease Control and Prevention data. Main outcomes and measures were the age-adjusted (US 2000 standard population) MRs. RESULTS: Overall, KC MRs increased significantly (b = 0.04, p < .01). For the period studied, KC MR was 1.24 per 100,000 persons per year (0.62 for sun-exposed sites, 0.38 for genital and 0.23 for perianal sites). At sun-exposed genital and perianal anatomic sites, KC MRs have been increasing in whites, but not in blacks. CONCLUSION: There was a 17% decrease in the KC MRs until 2000, followed by an increase of 44% through 2017. The accuracy of KC MRs is uncertain. If indeed the increase in mortality is verified, causes may include an increase in KC incidence, an increase of immunosuppressed populations, and changes in the cause of death documentation.

Skin disease related to metabolic syndrome in women.

Sex hormones are involved in pathways of metabolic syndrome (MetS), an observation supported by animal studies. The relationships of sex hormones with components of MetS, such as insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, have been studied in pre- and postmenopausal women. High testosterone, low sex hormone-binding globulin, and low estrogen levels increase the risks of MetS and type 2 diabetes in women. Cutaneous diseases that are sex hormone mediated, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, acanthosis nigricans, acne vulgaris, and pattern alopecia, have been associated with insulin resistance and increased risk for MetS. Furthermore, inflammatory skin conditions, such as hidradenitis suppurativa and psoriasis, increase the risk for MetS. Patients with such skin conditions should be followed for metabolic complications, and early lifestyle interventions toward these populations may be warranted.