title: Underuse of early follow-up visits: a missed opportunity to improve patients' adherence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early follow-up visits improve patient adherence, but the actual scheduling behavior of physicians is not known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the timing of first follow-up visits in US dermatologic practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with a diagnosis of psoriasis, acne, or atopic dermatitis were identified in the 2003-2007 MarketScan Medicaid database. Factors affecting the length of time before first follow-up were assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean length of time to the first follow-up visit was 153 days for adults and 142 days for children with psoriasis; 151 days for adults and 218 days for children with acne; and 161 days for adults and 209 days for children with atopic dermatitis. Black and those other than white patients were less likely than whites to receive early follow-up in psoriasis and acne, but more likely in atopic dermatitis. Dermatologists were more likely to schedule early follow-up visits than nondermatologists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The database includes only Medicaid patients. The rate of non-attendance at scheduled visits could not be determined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most physicians are missing the opportunity to maximize patient adherence by scheduling early follow-up visits. Contact by email or phone may be beneficial for physicians who cannot schedule early follow-up.
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Hsien-Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Cheng-Han
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balkrishnan
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Feldman
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000628:therapy*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000628:therapy*; D003880:Dermatology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000628:therapy*; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult