The Upper East Side vs Central Harlem: What is responsible for the Dermatology Disparities that shaped these Communities?

Very few studies have been done to understand why there is a paucity of dermatology practices in the Central Harlem (CH) community in Manhattan. This ecological and exploratory study will identify factors such as, geographical location, race, socioeconomic status, health care and medical education, as reasons why there is a disparity between the dermatology services in the CH community versus the Upper East Side (UES) of Manhattan. Thus, examining the differences in the neighborhoods as a mediator, it is hypothesized there is a need for increased dermatology practices to CH, as not catering to the clinical needs of a community can be detrimental to the public health and welfare of its residents. Therefore, initiatives like; improved medical education among dermatology residents, dermatology outreach, incentives to open dermatology practices in CH and free dermatology clinics are a few ideas, which can be implemented to help close this disparity gap.