The Ability of a Dermatology Outreach Program to Target Under-Resourced Populations in Oregon

Background: With a rising shortage of dermatologists and increased demand for services1, rural communities are disproportionally affected by barriers to dermatologic care. Community outreach screening events hold the potential to bridge this care gap. Methods: The War on MelanomaTM outreach program utilized the American Academy of Dermatology’s SPOT Skin CancerTM program to provide free skin checks and education at community events across Oregon. Data collected included event locations, participant characteristics, and examination findings/outcomes. Results: Across 10 Oregon counties, 387 individuals were screened for skin cancer and 75 received follow-up care recommendations. Nine events occurred in counties with <10 dermatologists, and thirteen in counties with ≥10 dermatologists. Despite similarities in the top three presumptive diagnoses found in counties with <10 versus ≥10 dermatologists (“Other,” “Mole/nevus,” and “Seborrheic keratosis”), the distribution varied significantly by county type (P<0.01). Reasons for attendance differed significantly by race/ethnicity (P<0.001). For non-White attendees, not having a dermatologist was the primary driver for attendance, whereas having a concerning spot was the top reason among White participants. White participants represented 65% of the total participants. Discussion: Our program successfully reached underserved populations, with many attendees citing lack of dermatological access, insurance, and/or financial constraints as reasons for event attendance. However, a majority of our events occurred in counties with ≥10 dermatologists. Our future efforts will strategically target rural areas with limited dermatological services to better serve under-resourced, high-risk populations.