Trends in public interest in pediatric dermatology over the last 20 years - Influences of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Research output: Contribution to conferencePosterpeer-review

Abstract

Purpose: Pediatric dermatologic needs are growing however, it is unclear whether the public is aware of the utility of this field. While this is an area uniquely positioned to diagnose and treat various pediatric skin conditions, Pediatrics Dermatologists make up less than 2% of the 11,000 board-certified dermatologists in the United States. Thus, our objective was to assess trends in public interest in Pediatric Dermatology and identify any disruptions in search interest during the 2019 COVID-19 Pandemic.

Methods: We used Google Trends (GT) to assess public interest via 'relative search query volume in pediatric dermatology compared to forecasted prediction by the ARIMA model. Next, we assessed the correlation between RSI and the number of PDs at the state level and generated a heat map of the latter.

Results: On average, RSI in queries for 'pediatric dermatologist increased by 3.55 points (SE=0.002) per month from 2004 through August of 2022; however, the lowest dip in RSI occurred in April 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown-which was the largest deviation from the ARIMA model. RSI was significantly correlated with the number of PDs at the state level (R = 0.44, P = 001). States notably lacking a PD were Nevada, Wyoming, South Dakota, Arkansas and Mississippi.

Conclusions: The field of PD is steadily growing, however disparities exist between states with the greatest number of practicing PDs and the largest RSI. Ongoing efforts are needed to increase public interest in the field, grow the PD workforce and address the ongoing physician shortage across states.
Original languageAmerican English
Pages21
StatePublished - 13 Sep 2024
Event2024 Symposium on Tribal and Rural Innovations in Disparities and Equity for Health - Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, United States
Duration: 13 Sep 202413 Sep 2024

Conference

Conference2024 Symposium on Tribal and Rural Innovations in Disparities and Equity for Health
Abbreviated titleSTRIDE 2024
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityTahlequah
Period13/09/2413/09/24

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