| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA;2. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA;3. Section of Dermatology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA;4. Department of Dermatology, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA;5. The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York, USA |
| Abstract: | The rate of pediatric hospitalization for cutaneous pathology has been increasing in recent years, often requiring the expertise of consulting pediatric dermatologists; however, the infrastructure of inpatient pediatric dermatology consultative services remains poorly characterized. We sought to assess the structure, consult volume, physician compensation, and utilization of teledermatology in pediatric dermatology inpatient services to better understand the current care model. Our survey of 118 pediatric dermatologists revealed that 89% of respondents see between 1 and 10 new consults per week, 39% perform all inpatient consults including evening and weekends without assistance from other providers, 71% do not have protected time during the week to provide inpatient consultations, and only 10% receive financial compensation via stipend. By highlighting both the high demand for pediatric consultative dermatology as well as the significant burden placed on these providers by existing practice models, we hope to encourage a reappraisal of the current infrastructure of pediatric inpatient dermatology to increase structural and financial support for this vital service. |
