Abstract
A survey on the actual state of treatment for atopic dermatitis (hereinafter “AD actual state survey”) was conducted to examine patients’ (or guardians’) consultation behavior, cooperation between pediatricians and dermatologists, and the relationship between Japanese Society of Allergology-certified specialists (hereinafter “specialists”) and non-specialists. 40% of doctors answered that more than 60% of their AD patients have been examined by the other doctors. More than 60% of pediatricians had experience referring patients to dermatologists and approximately 50% of pediatricians had been introduced patients by a dermatologist. Furthermore, specialists received many introducers from other pediatricians and dermatologists for exacerbation of eczema, other allergies, and patient guidance. Doctors who treated more than 50 AD patients a week also more frequently cooperated with other pediatricians and dermatologists. Experience of cooperation at our clinic suggests that cooperation by doctors may prevent “doctor shopping” and dropout from treatment by patients. Moreover, when symptoms do not improve despite continuing standard treatment for about a month, introduced to a more experienced specialist or dermatologist should be considered. Clear standards for when cooperation should take place in the form of guidelines are awaited going forward.
