title: Management of vitiligo patients and attitude of dermatologists towards vitiligo.
abstract: As vitiligo does not cause any physical impairment, it is often considered unimportant by physicians. Vitiligo patients repeatedly experience disinterest from the medical world regarding their skin problem. A questionnaire survey was used to assess the management of vitiligo patients and the attitude of dermatologists towards vitiligo in Belgium. Vitiligo patients (n = 244) visiting an academic affiliated dermatology department were included and 454 out of 558 Belgian dermatologists returned a mailed questionnaire. Vitiligo patients do not often visit a doctor concerning their disease and do not often treat their disease. Disease severity as reported by the patient is correlated with the number of doctor visits (p = 0.001) but not to treatment of the disease. Information about the treatment and physician's encouragement to treat seem important in motivating patients to treat their vitiligo, but 50% of the patients were not adequately informed about their disease and its treatment during their first doctor visit. Today, nearly all the dermatologists report widely informing their patients, but only 36% of them encourage their patients to treat their disease, being pessimistic concerning expected treatment results. Interestingly, two thirds of the patients who ever treated their disease find it worthwhile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ongenae
authors.forename: Nanny
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Van Geel
authors.forename: Sofie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Schepper
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vander Haeghen
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Naeyaert
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001530:Belgium; D003880:Dermatology / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000628:therapy*