Five Years Later: Continuing Disparity in the Geographic Density and Distribution of U.S. Dermatologists

Abstract

Objectives: A discrepancy exists in the geographical distribution of dermatologists across the United States (US). The aim of this study was to reexamine the current geographical density of dermatologists to describe any changes compared to date from 5 and 12 years ago. Methods: Membership data from the 2021 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) database were retrieved to characterize the distribution of dermatologists in 3-digit zip code areas. Results: Out of 712 populated zip codes with dermatologists, 510 (71.6%) had less than 4 dermatologists per 100,000, as compared to 515 (72.3%) in 2016 (– 0.19% CAGR). The dermatologist density of the 100 most populated areas (M = 4.5 dermatologists per 100,000, SD = 3.3) and 100 least populated areas (M = 1.6 dermatologists per 100,000, SD = 6.2) were significantly different (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: This analysis provides continued trends to compare to previous studies performed in 2016 and 2009. The highest and lowest density areas were similar to results from previous studies. The results indicate an enduring and significant maldistribution of dermatologists in the US.