title: American Academy of Dermatology Patch Testing Survey: use and effectiveness of this procedure.
abstract: The results of an American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)-sponsored survey on the use and effectiveness of patch testing are presented. Academy members' responses indicate that 27% do not patch test at all. Reasons given for not testing included (1) the patient history was adequate for diagnosis, (2) patch testing was too time-consuming, and (3) reimbursement was not sufficient. Dermatologists in residency training programs who responded to a similar survey are testing frequently and report a high degree of positivity and relevancy among tests applied. Recommendations are presented with a focus toward increasing interest in patch testing among the membership.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Brancaccio
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Marks
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003880:Dermatology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D010328:Patch Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States