Primary care engagement in hidradenitis suppurativa: Influence of disease severity, cardiometabolic risk, and access barriers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25251/jc8msv36Keywords:
access, barriers, cardiometabolic, delay, dermatology, hidradenitis suppurativa, hurley stage, primary care utilizationAbstract
Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is linked to cardiometabolic disease (CMD), and guidelines recommend annual primary care visits. This study examined predictors of primary care utilization among patients with HS. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 307 patients with HS were analyzed. χ² tests, one-way analysis of variance, and multivariable logistic regression assessed associations among barriers to care, primary care provider (PCP) adherence, HS severity, and CMD presence. Results: Mean age was 39.4 years; 26.4% had Hurley stage III disease. Overall PCP adherence was 85.0% but lower in patients under 30 years (71.0%). CMD prevalence included hypertension (33.9%), type 2 diabetes (17.6%), and hypercholesterolemia (32.9%). Patients without CMD were 74.0% less likely to adhere to annual PCP visits (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.26; P = .001), and being uninsured reduced adherence by 82.0% (AOR, 0.18; P = .01). HS severity did not predict adherence, but Hurley stage III disease was associated with more PCP visits and independently predicted type 2 diabetes (AOR, 2.26; P = .02). Conclusion: Primary care engagement is influenced more by CMD and insurance than HS severity. Coordinated dermatology–primary care strategies may enhance preventive care, especially for younger patients without CMD.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Charlotte McRae, Sivani B. Reddy, Michael Anderson, Laci Turner, Tiffany Mayo (Author)
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