title: A nationwide study of acne treatment patterns in Korea: analysis of patient preconceived notions and dermatologist suggestion for treatment.
abstract: Patients often have preconceived notions about acne treatments before visiting dermatologists. The aim of this study was to explore the association between patients' beliefs regarding acne and physicians' suggestion for treatment modality in dermatology clinics. A cross-sectional, nationwide multicentre study was conducted. A total of 1,370 patients completed questionnaires about beliefs about acne treatment before seeking medical care, and 101 dermatologists assessed their acne severity and proposed treatment methods. We found that patients had preconceptions in understanding disease characteristics, assessing subjective acne severity and preferring specific treatment modalities. Dermatologists' determination of topical agents as first-line treatment was affected by disease severity and patients' preferences. They were also more likely to prescribe isotretinoin even in moderate acne compared to oral antibiotics and topical agents. Selections of physical treatments and light-based therapies were affected by patients' preferences, subjective self-evaluation and dermatologists' assessments. Thus, we suggest that acne treatment strategies should incorporate both patients' subjective perceptions and objective clinical practices into a management paradigm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyuck Hoon
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Hyun Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Dae Hun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Sue Kyung
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Eil Soo
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Joo Heung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nack In
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kye
authors.forename: Young Suck
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ro
authors.forename: Sang Ju
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Myung Nam
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung Jeh
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Eun So
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kwang Joong
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000628:therapy*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D003880:Dermatology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000523:psychology*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult