Health care needs assessment

A health care needs assessment (HCNA) attempts to answer these 3 questions: (1) What is the burden of a specific disease in a population? (2) What impact does this disease burden have on quality of life, the economy, and the health care system as a whole? and (3) How can a health care system best address this burden to reduce the impact of the disease? An HCNA attempts to accurately evaluate the needs of a population and provide a strategy to address the needs with an evidence-based approach. In the United States, with health care spending the heated subject of national political reform, an HCNA is of utmost importance. This is a formal evaluation of dermatologic healthcare needs in the United States and its findings should be used as a tool to guide the provision of health care.

Skin disease

The HCNA presented in this issue is specific to skin disease. In the United States, 1 of every 3 people is affected by a skin condition at any point in time. Skin disease was listed as a “top 15 medical condition” for its increase in prevalence and health care spending from 1987 to 2000. It accounted for more than $37 billion per year in medical costs and lost productivity in 2004. There are more than 3000 dermatologic diseases encompassing skin, hair, nails, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, and mucosal surfaces.

The skin protects the rest of the body from the environment, especially UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, infections, infestations, and irritants. The skin also has the capability to synthesize vitamin D, which is an emerging interest in medicine. Skin diseases cause a variety of problems, including burning, itching, pain, physical disfigurement, scarring, and emotional distress. When the skin is seriously affected, the devastating results can cause systemic disease, such as cancer metastasis, sepsis, other organ damage, and death. The interaction between skin disease and systemic disease goes both ways. Because the skin is the outermost organ, it provides a window to what is occurring elsewhere in the body. Because many systemic diseases have dermatologic manifestations, thorough physical examinations of the skin may reveal hidden systemic diseases, leading to earlier treatment and improved health.

The skin is also the most visible organ, making the social impact of skin disease arguably the greatest of all organ systems. Although a person’s health problems are often kept private and confidential, a skin disease is exposed to all passersby. Skin diseases, such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, warts, and skin cancer, can be devastating to a person’s self-image. Affected persons may express feelings of embarrassment, shame, isolation, fear, and poor self-confidence.

Skin disease

The HCNA presented in this issue is specific to skin disease. In the United States, 1 of every 3 people is affected by a skin condition at any point in time. Skin disease was listed as a “top 15 medical condition” for its increase in prevalence and health care spending from 1987 to 2000. It accounted for more than $37 billion per year in medical costs and lost productivity in 2004. There are more than 3000 dermatologic diseases encompassing skin, hair, nails, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, and mucosal surfaces.

The skin protects the rest of the body from the environment, especially UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, infections, infestations, and irritants. The skin also has the capability to synthesize vitamin D, which is an emerging interest in medicine. Skin diseases cause a variety of problems, including burning, itching, pain, physical disfigurement, scarring, and emotional distress. When the skin is seriously affected, the devastating results can cause systemic disease, such as cancer metastasis, sepsis, other organ damage, and death. The interaction between skin disease and systemic disease goes both ways. Because the skin is the outermost organ, it provides a window to what is occurring elsewhere in the body. Because many systemic diseases have dermatologic manifestations, thorough physical examinations of the skin may reveal hidden systemic diseases, leading to earlier treatment and improved health.

The skin is also the most visible organ, making the social impact of skin disease arguably the greatest of all organ systems. Although a person’s health problems are often kept private and confidential, a skin disease is exposed to all passersby. Skin diseases, such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, warts, and skin cancer, can be devastating to a person’s self-image. Affected persons may express feelings of embarrassment, shame, isolation, fear, and poor self-confidence.