Demographics of aging and skin disease.
What are the dermatologic needs of aging and skin disease in the elderly in the new millennium? This question may be impossible to answer, but predictions may be derived from current sources of data. Data from the US Census Bureau and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey are used to characterize current use of dermatologic care in the aging population of the United States and to estimate possible future trends in dermatologic care as the elderly population continues to grow. Dermatologic accompaniments of aging are briefly reviewed, as are issues in health care financing.
Smith
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ES
Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA.
Fleischer
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AB
Feldman
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SR
D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003710:Demography; D003880:Dermatology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044469:Racial Groups; D012307:Risk Factors; D015595:Skin Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology