Black Children Show High Skin Disease Burden but Low Dermatology Use

Pediatric inflammatory skin conditions often require specialized management to mitigate long-term complications, such as the significant mental health burden associated with atopic dermatitis [1]. While standard-of-care maintenance therapies exist, clinicians frequently face challenges in balancing treatment safety with efficacy in young populations [2]. Furthermore, chronic conditions like hidradenitis suppurativa (a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by painful nodules and scarring) disproportionately affect Black and biracial individuals, yet these groups remain underrepresented in clinical research and specialized care pathways [3]. Disparities in healthcare access are often compounded by suboptimal awareness of clinical guidelines among various provider types [4]. Emerging digital health tools and teledermatology offer potential avenues to bridge these gaps, though technological barriers persist in underserved communities [5]. To better understand these care gaps, a recent multicenter analysis examined how race and ethnicity influence both disease frequency and specialty care utilization across major United States children's hospitals.