Requirements for Brazilian Outpatient Centers of Excellence in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Consensus Co-Creative Study

Abstract

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic skin condition. Its complexity and impact on patients highlight the need for multidisciplinary care that can address the physical, psychological, and social aspects. Centers of excellence can ideally provide the necessary infrastructure, resources, and expertise to effectively treat HS. However, there are still no consolidated models of centers of excellence in HS, and establishing their foundations is an intricate research challenge. Purposely, design and co-creation as innovation techniques are helpful approaches to this type of research. Methods: In this study, we conducted a co-creation with consensus among HS specialists to propose the criteria and requirements to establish outpatient centers of excellence of HS in Brazil. We followed a linear process with mixed methods in 6 stages. Results: The process resulted in 10 categories for establishing outpatient centers, including their respective requirements, rationale, and classification. The categories include onboarding and welcoming; infrastructure and procedures; infusion therapy; flows and referrals; staffing; disease management; metrics during diagnosis; metrics during treatment; awareness and advocacy; research and education. Discussion: The idealized outpatient centers can play a role in the complete multidisciplinary treatment for HS and advancing the science of healthcare services by providing a focus for research, training, and translation of findings into practice.

Access to Dermatological Services in the Brazilian Public Health System: a literature review

“…Este programa também incentiva os prestadores de cuidados de saúde a descentralizar os serviços, para que as pessoas em áreas remotas possam ter acesso a exames médicos [4]. A presença de uma enfermeira qualificada também é benéfica no tratamento de doenças relacionadas à pele, como a hanseníase [5]. Além disso, estudos foram realizados para determinar a disponibilidade de serviços dermatológicos no sistema público de saúde [6].…”

“…O governo brasileiro apresentou iniciativas para preencher essa lacuna, incluindo a introdução da telemedicina [12] e o uso de tecnologia móvel de saúde [5]. Contribuciones a Las Ciencias Sociales, São José dos Pinhais, v.17…”

Navigating the Multidimensional Impact of Living with Hidradenitis Suppurativa: An In-Depth Netnographic Study on Social Media Platforms

“…Interestingly, the disease is more common in teenagers (0.57%) and adults (0.47%) [ 8 ]. HS presents a unique set of challenges for patients in Brazil, a diverse country characterized by vast regional differences in healthcare access and quality, socioeconomic disparities, and cultural beliefs and practices related to health and illness [ 12 , 13 ]. Previous studies on HS in Brazil have primarily focused on clinical aspects such as disease prevalence, symptomatology, and treatment modalities, thereby leaving a gap in understanding the lived experiences of patients [ 8 , 12 , 14 , 15 ].…”