Analysis of the Population and Distribution of Minorities in the State of Indiana that Utilize Dermatologic Care in the IU Health System

Abstract

Background:

Medical centers require reevaluations to appropriately adapt to everchanging societal needs. This study aims to disclose the extent to which IU Health (IUH) patient demographics represent Indiana’s population. U.S. Census Bureau shows Indiana has had a 42.2% increase in its Hispanic population from 2010 to 2020. Via Cerner, thousands of patient demographics were obtained from the University Hospital (UH) and 4 other IUH dermatologic satellite locations – Zionsville, West, Meridian Crossing (MX), and Methodist – to assess whether patients who visit these locations accurately embody the drastically changing state population.

Methods:

Cerner’s “Kitchen Sink” tool generated a list of patients that had made an appointment at one of the 5 dermatological centers. The search was refined to 2021 and included ethnicity, preferred language, residential zip code, etc. This data was then cross- referenced with Indiana’s Public Data, where 92 counties were grouped into 6 regions.

Results:

Indiana’s Public Data for 2021 revealed that 8.3% of the population identified as Hispanic. These Hispanics were localized into residential regions, with the majority being in region 1 (40%), followed by region 4 (29%), region 2 (10%), region 3 (9%), regions 5 (5%) and 6 (5%). Our analysis revealed that 0.6% of Hispanics in Indiana utilized an IUH dermatology facility. Interestingly, despite most Hispanics residing in region 1, only a total of 4% were seen by IUH (UH & MX).

Conclusion:

Our preliminary findings show most Hispanics utilized an IUH facility in region 4, where they resided. Furthermore, we did not see any statistically significant differences in site preference within this group. However, we were surprised by the low number of Hispanics from other regions, especially region 1, utilizing IUH dermatologic care. This study raises the question of potential barriers (proximity, preferred language, lack of awareness, and need for dermatology services) to dermatologic care available to Hispanics within the IUH system. Further studies are needed to identify the cause and potential solutions to the discrepancies within the Hispanic community in Indiana and IUH Dermatology.