Atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) can present differently in diverse patients, potentially leading to delayed diagnosis and therefore delayed treatment, explained James Song, MD, director of clinical research and associate chief medical officer at Frontier Dermatology.
James Song, MD, director of clinical research and associate chief medical officer at Frontier Dermatology, highlights key insights from his 2023 Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference session about recognizing how atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) affect people differently based on severity and skin tone.
Song co-presented the session with Andrew Alexis, MD, MPH, Andrew Alexis, MD, MPH, FAAD, vice chair for diversity and inclusion for the Department of Dermatology and a dermatologist at the Center for Diverse Skin Complexions at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City; and Linda Stein Gold, MD, director of Dermatology Clinical Research at Henry Ford Health System.
He explained that there are different presentations of skin diseases in patients who have darker skin, and not having a clear understanding of these differences can result in both a delay in diagnosis and a delay in treatment start.
In addition, patient with skin of color often present with more advanced disease. In a disease like psoriasis, this may not be a problem because there are so many therapies available that can effectively treat the disease. However, with HS, medications don't work as well once the patient has advanced enough to develop tunnels or scarring.
According to Song, patients with skin of color have to get to a dermatologist earlier when there is a better window of opportunity to intervene for the best response to treatment.
In addition to HS being more common in Black and Latinx patients, there is also a disproportionately higher number of patients with skin of color who have severe disease, which is tied to their social determinants of health, he said. They may not have access to specialists or newer medications. They may have lower health literacy. Or due to historical injustices by the medical system, they may simply not trust the system anymore.
The Push for Fair Pricing and Reform in Pharmacy Benefit Management
April 3rd 2025Amid growing legislative pressures and industry debates, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are exploring new strategies to enhance transparency, reduce patient costs, and navigate the evolving healthcare landscape.
Read More
Navigating Sport-Related Neurospine Injuries, Surgery, and Managed Care
February 25th 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Arthur L. Jenkins III, MD, FACS, CEO of Jenkins NeuroSpine, to explore the intersection of advanced surgical care for sport-related neurospine injuries and managed care systems.
Listen
Using AI-Driven Strategies to Optimize Specialty Drug Costs, Manage Polypharmacy
April 2nd 2025As health care costs continue to rise, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions are emerging as a powerful tool for managing specialty drug spending and polypharmacy risks, as showcased in recent research presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2025 conference.
Read More
How Recent Federal Policy Changes Are Shaping Managed Care Pharmacy
April 2nd 2025Federal legislative and regulatory changes are reshaping pharmacy practice, with key challenges in government funding, pharmacy benefit manager reform, and health care policy shifts—topics explored by experts at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's annual meeting.
Read More
The IRA’s Unintended Consequences for Drug Pricing and Coverage
April 2nd 2025The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) may be restricting Medicare Part D formularies, increasing patient costs, and stifling pharmaceutical innovation, experts warned at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2025 annual meeting.
Read More