title: Current Dermatologic Care in Dutch Nursing Homes and Possible Improvements: A Nationwide Survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the provision and need of dermatologic care among Dutch nursing home patients and to obtain recommendations for improvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional nationwide survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 173 nursing home organizations in the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physicians working in nursing homes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Web-based questionnaire concerning the burden of skin diseases in nursing home patients, diagnostic procedures and therapy, collaboration with dermatologists, physicians' level of education, and suggestions for improvement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 126 (72.8%) nursing home organizations, with 1133 associated physicians participated in our study and received the questionnaire. A total of 347 physicians (30.6%) completed the questionnaire. Almost all respondents (99.4%) were recently confronted with skin diseases, mostly (pressure) ulcers, eczema, and fungal infections. Diagnostic and treatment options were limited because of a lack of availability and experience of the physicians. More live consultation of dermatologists was suggested as being important to improve dermatologic care. Other suggestions were better education, more usage of telemedicine applications, and better availability of diagnostic and/or treatment procedures like cryotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physicians in nursing homes are frequently confronted with skin diseases. Several changes in organization of care and education are expected to improve dermatologic care in nursing home patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Satish.Lubeek@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Satish F K
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lubeek
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eric R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: van der Geer
authors.affiliation: Department for Health Evidence, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marleen M H J
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: van Gelder
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Raymond T C M
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Koopmans
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter C M
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: van de Kerkhof
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marie-Jeanne P
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gerritsen
mesh_terms: D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Geriatric dermatology; dermatologic care; institutionalized elderly; nursing homes; skin care; skin diseases