Assessing dermatology resident confidence in caring for patients with skin of color

Abstract

Many dermatology residency programs lack sufficient didactics and experiences with patients with skin of color (SOC). This may impact resident confidence with this patient population, which may affect patient satisfaction and perceptions of care. Dermatology residents nationwide were surveyed to determine their confidence in care of patients with SOC and white skin across several dimensions, including detailing morphology, making diagnostic and therapeutic decisions, tailoring treatment recommendations, and detecting suspicious lesions. A total of 125 dermatology residents representing 46 programs (of 119, 39%) responded. Resident confidence was significantly lower across all categories measured regarding caring for patients with SOC compared with patients with white skin (P <.001). After multivariate analysis adjusting for demographic and residency program characteristics, confidence in caring for patients with SOC remained significantly lower. Residents in programs with SOC education (i.e., SOC didactics, SOC clinical rotation) reported significantly higher confidence in one or more aspects of SOC care compared with residents in programs without such curricula. A deficiency in SOC education may contribute to the lower resident confidence observed. Integrating only one type of SOC education into residents’ curricula, although helpful, may not sufficiently enhance confidence across all dimensions of care. A multifaceted approach is needed.