Patient-Reported Outcome Measures and Their Clinical Applications in Dermatology.

With more disease- and symptom-specific measures available and research pointing to increased usefulness, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) can be routinely used in clinical care. PROMs increase efficiency in healthcare, improve the clinician-patient relationship, and increase patient satisfaction with their care. PROMs can be administered before, during, and after clinic visits using paper-and-pencil, mobile phones, tablets, and computers. Herein, we combine available literature with expert views to discuss overcoming barriers and helping dermatologists incorporate PROMs into routine patient-centered care. We believe dermatology patients will benefit from broader PROM implementation and routine clinical use. However, a few major barriers exist: (1) cost to implement the technology, (2) selecting the right PROMs for each disease, and (3) helping both patients and clinicians understand how PROMs add to and complement their current clinical experience. We provide recommendations to assist dermatologists when considering whether to implement PROMs in their practices.

The continued inappropriate use and overuse of combination topical clotrimazole-betamethasone.

OBJECTIVE: Combination topical clotrimazole/ betamethasone dipropionate (C-BM) contains a high-potency topical corticosteroid and is not infrequently prescribed for inappropriate patient groups and body sites. Use of C-BM can lead to inadequate clearance or exacerbation of fungal infections as well as cutaneous atrophy, striae, and other skin maladies. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of 1,978 clinical visits where C-BM was prescribed within the University of Utah Health system between 2014 and 2018 to better understand current prescribing patterns. RESULTS: 1,974 prescriptions were written for C-BM. 91.6% of patients were at least the recommended age of 17 years. C-BM was most commonly prescribed for rashes of an inflammatory (42.2%) or fungal nature (38.1%). Clotrimazole/betamethasone dipropionate was prescribed for sensitive areas (face, axillae, groin or diaper region) in 48.9% of patients. Family medicine clinicians prescribed 58.3% of C-BM prescriptions, whereas dermatology clinicians accounted for 3.4%. CONCLUSION: We strongly recommend clinicians use alternative treatments for rashes or refer to dermatologists.

Low accuracy of self-reported family history of melanoma in high-risk patients.

Family history of melanoma is a major melanoma risk factor. However, self-reported family histories for some cancers, including melanoma, are commonly inaccurate. We used a unique database, the Utah Population Database (UPDB), as well as the Utah Cancer Registry to determine the accuracy of self-reported family history of melanoma in a large cohort of high-risk patients. Patient charts were reviewed and compared to records in the UPDB and the UCR to confirm personal and family history of melanoma in 1780 patients enrolled in a total body photography monitoring program. Self-reported family history of melanoma in first-degree relatives had an overall sensitivity of 71%, specificity of 79%, PPV of 31%, and NPV of 95%, with decreased accuracy (PPV) for second-degree relatives. A personal history of melanoma was the only factor significantly associated with accuracy in self-reported family history of melanoma. Patient age, sex, estimated nevus count, and number of prior personal melanomas were not significant predictors. Dermatologists should educate patients on the differences between melanomas, keratinocyte carcinomas, and pre-cancers. Confirming self-reported family history of melanoma may improve risk assessment for patients undergoing screening.

Administrative Burden and Costs of Prior Authorizations in a Dermatology Department.

Importance: Insurance companies use prior authorizations (PAs) to address inappropriate prescribing or unnecessary variations in care, most often for expensive medications. Prior authorizations negatively affect patient care and add costs and administrative burden to dermatology offices. Objective: To quantify the administrative burden and costs of dermatology PAs. Design, Setting, and Participants: The University of Utah Department of Dermatology employs 2 full-time and 8 part-time PA staff. In this cross-sectional study at a large academic department spanning 11 clinical locations, these staff itemized all PA-related encounters over a 30-day period in September 2016. Staff salary and benefits were publicly available. Data were analyzed between December 2018 and August 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: Proportion of visits requiring PAs, median administrative time to finalize a PA (either approval or denial after appeal), and median cost per PA type. Results: In September 2016, 626 PAs were generated from 9512 patient encounters. Staff spent 169.7 hours directly handling PAs, costing a median of $6.72 per PA. Biologic PAs cost a median of $15.80 each and took as long as 31 business days to complete. The costliest PA equaled 106% of the associated visit's Medicare reimbursement rate. Approval rates were 99.6% for procedures, 78.9% for biologics, and 58.2% for other medications. After appeal, 5 of 23 (21.7%) previously denied PAs were subsequently approved. Conclusions and Relevance: Prior authorizations are costly to dermatology practices and their value appears limited for some requests. Fewer unnecessary PAs and appeals might increase practice efficiency and improve patient outcomes.