Introduction: Spain has come to be one of the main European destinations for immigrants from countries with low per capita incomes. The Balearic Islands have the second largest proportion of immigrants in a Spanish autonomous community. The aim of this study was to describe the dermatology service utilization by immigrant and Spanish populations at Hospital Son Llàtzer in Palma de Majorca, Spain.
Patients and methods: A longitudinal, descriptive study was undertaken to analyze first visits to the dermatology department of Hospital Son Llàtzer between July 10, 2007 and July 9, 2008.
Results: Of the 6699 first visits, 13. 2% were by non-Spanish patients, originating from 64 different countries, with Argentina, Ecuador, and Columbia the most common. Spanish patients consulted more frequently than non-Spanish patients. Patients from outside the European Union consulted most often for inflammatory conditions, whereas patients from Spain and other countries of the European Union mainly consulted for benign tumors. Consultations were for sexually transmitted disease in 2% of visits. The reason for the visit was classified as cosmetic in 14. 1% of patients.
Conclusions: The dermatology service utilization by the immigrant population was lower than by Spanish patients, although with differences according to the country of origin.