Outpatient Dermatology Productivity Measures by Patient Race, Sex, and Age.

Importance: Clinical productivity measures may incentivize clinical care to specific patient populations and thus perpetuate inequitable care. Before the 2021 Medicare physician fee schedule changes, outpatient dermatology encounters for patients who were younger, female, and races other than White systematically generated fewer work relative value units (wRVUs).

Objective: To examine the association of patient race, age, and sex with wRVUs generated by outpatient dermatology encounters after 2021.

Impact of a University-Led COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Program.

Context: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic devastated societies and economies worldwide. Given the major disruptions to higher education, reflection on university responses to the COVID-19 pandemic may provide insights for future outbreaks.

Objective: Here, we describe the epidemiology of COVID-19 on the Emory University campus during the 2020-2021 academic year and provide an evaluation of the performance of a university-led program with the purpose of describing the effectiveness of efforts to augment the public health authority's case investigation and contact tracing efforts during a public health emergency.

COVID-19 vaccination initiation and completion in a multicenter cohort study of insured US transgender and cisgender adults.

Purpose: Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people may have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet little is known about vaccination status in this population. This multicenter cohort study of insured adults examined the rates of COVID-19 vaccine initiation and completion in TGD persons compared to matched cisgender persons.

Methods: A cohort of TGD persons and matched cisgender persons enrolled in Kaiser Permanente health plans in Northern and Southern California between 12/1/2020 and 7/31/2021 were analyzed.

Lived Experience of Acne and Acne Treatment in Transgender Patients.

Importance: While acne is common in transgender and gender-diverse people and is associated with gender-affirming hormone therapy, little research has examined these factors and their impact in gender minority groups.

Objective: To examine the lived experiences of acne and acne treatment in transgender and gender-diverse participants.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This mixed-methods analysis was conducted at a multidisciplinary gender center at a public safety-net hospital and endocrinology and dermatology clinics at a tertiary academic center from January 4, 2021, to April 7, 2022, using semistructured interviews and surveys.

The Influence of Pain on Reduced Quality of Life in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background: Pain and itch are impactful and burdensome symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Elucidating factors associated with pain and itch severity may identify groups disproportionally affected by HS-related pain and itch and further our understanding of how pain and itch impact quality of life (QoL) in patients with HS.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine factors associated with pain severity, itch severity, and reduced QoL in patients with HS.

Healthcare experiences among patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: a qualitative study.

In this qualitative study, 21 adults living with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) were interviewed about their healthcare experiences. Participants detailed how delay in diagnosis, lack of provider knowledge, inadequate pain management, poor access to care and stigmatization negatively affected their interactions with the healthcare system. Improving disease knowledge among providers, proactively addressing HS-related pain and coordinating access to multidisciplinary care may improve healthcare experiences among individuals living with HS.

Ambulatory palliative care among patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: A qualitative study.

Background: Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) experience high physical and emotional symptom burden and may benefit from palliative care interventions, though no studies have explored the unmet palliative care needs in this population.

Objective: This case series aimed to qualitatively evaluate unmet needs and palliative care interventions among patients with HS who were referred to palliative care.

Methods: We reviewed medical records of patients with HS who were referred from an HS specialty clinic and seen in an interprofessional palliative care ambulatory clinic.

Satisfaction with current hormone therapy and goals of additional gender-affirming care in transgender adults.

Background: Many transgender persons seek hormone therapy to reduce gender dysphoria and improve quality of life, but little is known about patient satisfaction with current gender-affirming hormone therapy.

Aim: To examine patient satisfaction with current gender-affirming hormone therapy and patients' goals of additional hormone therapy.

Methods: Transgender adults in the validated multicenter STRONG cohort (Study of Transition, Outcomes, and Gender) were asked to complete a cross-sectional survey about current and planned hormone therapy and the effects that they experienced or hoped to gain.

Pain experiences among those living with hidradenitis suppurativa: a qualitative study.

Background: Pain is rated by patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) as the disease's most impactful symptom. HS therapies are often insufficient to control inflammatory disease activity and pain. A better understanding of patient experiences with pain may improve patient-provider relationships and help identify strategies for addressing HS pain.

Perceptions and attitudes regarding HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among dermatology clinicians and trainees.

In 2020, over 1.2 million people were at risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), though only 25% were prescribed pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Given the multitude of dermatologic manifestations of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, dermatologic care can serve as the entry point to the HIV care continuum.

A University-Led Contact Tracing Program Response to a COVID-19 Outbreak Among Students in Georgia, February-March 2021.

Few reports have described how university programs have controlled COVID-19 outbreaks. Emory University established a case investigation and contact tracing program in June 2020 to identify and mitigate transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the Emory community. In February 2021, this program identified a surge in COVID-19 cases.