Procedures for skin diseases performed by physicians in 1993 and 1994: analysis of data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.
BACKGROUND
The provision of ambulatory dermatologic procedural care is not well characterized.


OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to determine the frequency that different cutaneous procedures are performed by different physician specialties and the diagnoses corresponding to these procedures.


METHODS
Outpatient dermatologic procedures recorded in the 1993 and 1994 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were analyzed. To define dermatologic procedures and diagnoses, the International Classification of Diseases diagnosis and procedure codes were identified that related to the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Sampling weights were applied to achieve the nationally representative estimates.


RESULTS
During 1993 and 1994, an estimated 37 million dermatologic procedures were performed. Most were performed by dermatologists (69%) and by family and general practice physicians (15%). A single procedure, "Other local excision or destruction of lesion or tissue of skin and subcutaneous tissue," constituted 65% of all of the dermatologic procedures. UV light treatments, ambulatory microscopic examination of skin specimens, and acne surgical procedures were performed almost exclusively by dermatologists. Most skin biopsies (82%) and excision/destruction procedures (71%) were performed by dermatologists. Actinic keratoses and viral warts accounted for 25% of all cutaneous dermatologic diagnoses treated.


CONCLUSIONS
Dermatologists have far more experience performing skin biopsies and excision/destruction procedures than other physicians. Cost containment efforts that deny coverage for treatment of actinic keratoses and viral warts would affect a significant portion of cutaneous procedures.
Fleischer
A B
AB
Department of Dermatology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
Feldman
S R
SR
White
R E
RE
Leshin
B
B
Byington
R
R
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D014481:United States