JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Dermatology student-run clinics may have the ability to play an important role in health equity, and characterizing their facilitators and barriers may help drive design change for more effective programs.

Objective:

To perform a review of the literature regarding dermatology student-run clinics across the United States.

Methods:

Systematic literature searches of Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, and Scopus were conducted on March 1, 2023. No date, language, or article type restrictions were included in the search strategy. Ninety-nine references were uploaded to Covidence for screening by two independent reviewers, and 18 full text documents were assessed for eligibility. After an additional 8 documents were identified through grey literature searching, a total of 21 studies were included in the final analysis. Data was extracted qualitatively using Microsoft Excel to categorize the studies by several domains, including clinic location, demographics, services offered, and barriers to care.

Results:

There are at least 15 dermatology student-run clinics across the United States. The most common conditions encountered included atopic dermatitis, acne, fungal infections, benign nevi, psoriasis, and neoplasms such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Facilitators for the clinics themselves included faculty oversight, attending physician participation for biopsy histopathology, and program coordinators. Lack of follow-up, medication nonadherence, and patient no-show represented the primary barriers.

Conclusions:

Dermatology student-run clinics serve a diverse population base, many of which are underrepresented in regular dermatology clinics. The facilitators and barriers identified in this review can help develop programs with stronger foundations to more optimally support community dermatologic health needs.