OasisLMS

Date of Original Release: September 15, 2026
Date of Expiration: September 15, 2029
Estimated Time of Completion: 7 hours

Target Audience
Dermatologists and others involved in the delivery of dermatologic care.

Statement of Need

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) reaches dermatology late. Patients wait an average of seven to ten years for a diagnosis, consulting three or more clinicians and accumulating multiple misdiagnoses before they arrive in dermatologic care. By that point, disease is often established and scarred, prior treatment has failed, and the dermatologist assumes responsibility for the full scope of management.

That scope has widened considerably. Evidence-based medical therapy for HS has changed substantially over the past decade, and adoption in general dermatology practice has lagged behind the evidence. Procedural management presents a parallel gap: deroofing, excision, and related in-office techniques are taught inconsistently across residency and dermatologic surgery fellowship programs, concentrating procedural expertise in a limited number of centers and lengthening wait times for patients outside major metropolitan areas. Supportive care receives the least attention of all. Chronic pain, itch, and complex wound care shape daily life for patients with HS, and dermatologists report limited formal training and low confidence in addressing these needs, particularly pain.

This on-demand course addresses medical therapy, in-office procedures, and supportive care through focused, practical instruction that dermatologists can complete at their own pace and apply directly to patient care.

Learning Objectives
Following participation in this activity, the learner should be able to:

• Offer appropriate evidence-based medical therapies for HS, incorporating factors such as disease severity, comorbid conditions, and patient preferences.
• Select and perform appropriate in office procedures for patients with HS based on lesion morphology and patient preferences.
• Recognize the psychosocial burden of HS and offer primary supportive care measures to address pain and wound care.

Accreditation Statement
The American Academy of Dermatology is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

AMA PRA Credit Statement
The American Academy of Dermatology designates this enduring material for a maximum of 7 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM. Physicians should only claim the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Instructions to Claim Credit
To claim CME credit for this activity, the learner must complete the posttest and achieve a minimum passing score of 70% and complete the post-activity evaluation survey.


Planners

Jonathan Rick, MD, FAAD, Course Chair
Assistant Professor

University at California at Davis
Sacramento, California

Afsaneh Alavi, MD, FAAD
Professor
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota

Steven Daveluy, MD, FAAD
Professor
Wayne State University
Dearborn, Michigan

Lauren Orenstein, MD, MSc, FAAD
Associate Professor
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Reviewers

Daniel Eisen, MD, FAAD
Professor

University of California Davis
Sacramento, California

Bethany Rohr, MD, FAAD

Assistant Professor

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

Cleveland, Ohio

Faculty

Afsaneh Alavi, MD, FAAD
Professor
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota

Parish Armstead
HS Connect, HS Brotherhood Podcast
Buffalo, New York

Alexandra Charrow, MD, FAAD
Assistant Professor
Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts

Colleen Cotton, MD, FAAD
Assistant Professor
Children's National Hospital
Washington, District of Columbia

Steven Daveluy, MD, FAAD
Professor
Wayne State University
Dearborn, Michigan

Iltefat Hamzavi, MD, FAAD
Senior Staff Physician
Henry Ford Hospital
Detroit, Michigan

Jennifer Hsiao, MD, FAAD
Associate Professor
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Katrina Lee, MD, FAAD
Assistant Professor
Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Hadar Lev-Tov, MD, FAAD
Associate Professor
University of Miami
Miami, Florida

Robert G. Micheletti, MD, FAAD
Associate Professor
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lauren Orenstein, MD, MSc, FAAD
Associate Professor
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Christopher Sayed, MD, FAAD
Professor
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Drew Saylor, MD, FAAD
Associate Professor
University of California San Francisco
San Francisco, California

Vivian Shi, MD, FAAD
Professor
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington

Staff

Christine Presta
Director, Digital Learning
Rosemont, Illinois

Janet Chester

Senior Manager, Digital Learning
Rosemont, Illinois

Dustin Herlich
Senior Manager, Learning Experience
Rosemont, Illinois

Blanca Torres-Olave, PhD
Senior Instructional Designer
Rosemont, Illinois

Melinda Keske
Senior Administrator, Learning Management
Rosemont, Illinois

Emma Boyke
Specialist, Digital Learning
Rosemont, Illinois

Juliana Bozeman
Medical Illustrator

Roberto Lambertini
Instructional Designer

Brandon Schawel
Instructional Designer

Disclosures

All other planners, speakers, reviewers, and staff for this activity reported they have no relevant relationship(s) with commercial interest(s).

Conflict Mitigation Statement
In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, the American Academy of Dermatology has implemented mechanisms, prior to the planning implementation of this activity, to identify and mitigate conflicts of interest for all individuals in a position to control the content.

Commercial Support
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.

Unapproved Use Disclosure
The American Academy of Dermatology requires CME faculty/authors to disclose to learners when products or procedures are being discussed are off-label (not approved for the indications being discussed), unlabeled (not approved for any indications), experimental and/or investigational (not FDA approved); and any limitations on the information that is presented, such as data that are preliminary or that represent ongoing research, interim analyses, and/or unsupported opinion. This information is intended solely for continuing medical education and is not intended to promote off-label use of these products/procedures. If you have questions, contact the medical affairs department of the manufacturer for the most recent approval information. Faculty/authors of this activity may be discussing information about pharmaceutical agents that is outside of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved labeling.

Disclaimer
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is not responsible for statements made by the author(s). Statement or opinions expressed in this activity reflect the views of the author(s) and do not reflect the official policy of the AAD. The information provided in this CME activity is for continuing education purposes only, is not intended to establish a standard of care, and is not meant to substitute for independent medical judgment of a health provider relative to the diagnostic, management and treatment options of a specific patient’s medical condition. 

No Medical Advice
The information in this publication by the American Academy of Dermatology or any third party should not be considered medical advice and is not intended to replace consultation with a qualified dermatology professional. The American Academy of Dermatology does not answer specific medical questions or refer people to a particular dermatology professional.

Contact Information
For the American Academy of Dermatology Member Resource Center, please call (866) 503-7546.