Advanced Practice Providers and Western Providers Are Associated With Increased Likelihood of Benign Skin Biopsies: A Cross-sectional Analysis.

Background And Objective: To identify provider-related characteristics associated with a higher proportion of benign skin biopsies.

Patients And Materials/methods: Medicare Part B database was analyzed, and for each provider, the number of skin biopsies that he/she performed that were benign lesions was estimated.

Results: Increased benign skin biopsies were performed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants (as compared to Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) (odds ratio [OR] of 1.

Transition to Medicare Does Not Contribute to Rise in Outpatient Visits for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer, Actinic Keratosis, or Actinic Cheilitis in the US Population.

Background: Outpatient visits for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and actinic keratoses (AK) have risen steadily in the United States, notably among Medicare beneficiaries. Individuals may delay seeking care for minimally symptomatic conditions until they qualify for Medicare coverage, indicating potential delay of nonurgent screening interventions for uninsured or underinsured patients younger than 65 years.

Objective: This study investigates whether an atypical increase in outpatient visits for NMSC, AK, or actinic cheilitis (AC) occurs at the age of Medicare transition by utilizing the National Ambulatory Care Survey from 1993 to 2019.

Years of dermatology experience and geographic region are associated with outlier performance of excision or destruction for nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Introduction: Treatments for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) include excision (surgical removal) and destruction (cryotherapy or curettage with or without electrodesiccation) in addition to other methods. Although cure rates are similar between excision and destruction for low-risk NMSCs, excision is substantially more expensive. Performing destruction when appropriate can reduce costs while providing comparable cure rate and cosmesis.

Risk Factors That Are Associated With Outliers in Mohs Micrographic Surgery in the National Medicare Population, 2018.

Background: Physician variation exists in the mean number of stages performed per Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) case. Physicians who are outliers in medical practice may be leading to a higher health care cost burden.

Objective: To identify factors that influence being a high outlier in the mean stages per MMS case.