Shared decision-making and satisfaction with care: a population-based study in patients with acne with skin of colour in the USA

We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine differences between patients with acne who are White and those with skin of colour (SOC) in terms of both engagement in shared decision-making and patient satisfaction with care, using the 2009-2017 and 2019 Medical Panel Expenditure Survey. Patients with acne with SOC were more likely to engage in high levels of shared decision-making than White patients. However, despite high shared decision-making, the patients with acne with SOC report lower satisfaction with their care compared with the White patients. Little is known about differences in shared decision-making and patient satisfaction with acne care among different ethnicities and races. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine differences between patients with acne who are White and those with skin of colour (SOC), i.e. (i) engagement in shared decision-making, and (ii) patient satisfaction with care, using the 2009-2017 and 2019 Medical Panel Expenditure Survey. Patients with acne with SOC were nearly two times more likely to engage in high shared decision-making compared with White patients [adjusted odds ratio 1.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30-2.51, P < 0.001]. Patients with SOC with acne reported lower satisfaction with care compared with White patients (beta = -0.38, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.06, P = 0.02). Patients with SOC who had acne reported higher levels of shared decision-making than White patients. However, compared with the White patients, patients with SOC report lower satisfaction with their care. There may be other factors contributing to lower satisfaction with care in patients with SOC who have acne.

Automated summary

Based on data analysis from the 2009-2017 and 2019 Medical Panel Expenditure Survey, patients with skin of colour (SOC) who have acne are more likely to engage in shared decision-making but have lower satisfaction with their care compared to White patients.