Specialty clinics for the dermatologic care of solid-organ transplant recipients.

Abstract

Solid-organ transplant recipients constitute a complex patient population that experiences numerous and aggressive skin cancers. Proactive, comprehensive, ongoing, and effective dermatologic care of these patients is a necessity. The objective of this study was to emphasize the need for organized dermatologic care for transplant recipients and to collect and present various proactive paradigms established in and designed for different practice settings to manage organ transplant recipients at high risk for skin cancer. Information about practice setting, patient demographics, and the care model used was obtained through questionnaires sent to a selection of 12 physicians known to care for transplant recipients in various practice settings. All 12 physicians completed the questionnaire. The organized dermatologic care of transplant recipients occurs in three basic clinic settings: multidisciplinary transplant clinics, designated dermatology transplant subspecialty clinics, and integration of transplant recipient care within existing dermatology clinics. Various practice settings offer both advantages and disadvantages in providing preventive and therapeutic care of organ transplant recipients at risk for skin cancer. Regardless of the clinic design used, an organized and firmly established clinic model to allow proactive and ongoing care for these patients is important for education, prevention, and early intervention.