Cost-of-illness Analysis of Patients with Chronic Hand Eczema in Routine Care in Germany: Focus on the Impact of Occupational Disease

Abstract

Chronic hand eczema places a heavy burden on patients, often affecting their ability to work. This paper compares the cost-of-illness and treatment approaches for patients with refractory chronic hand eczema, in relation to whether the disease was occupational or unrelated to work factors. Data from 2 surveys, comprising 310 patients with chronic hand eczema insured by German statutory health insurance (SHI) (including work-impaired patients, work-unaffected patients and non-working patients) and known work-related chronic hand eczema insured by occupational health insurance (OHI). Annual healthcare costs of managing work-impaired patients (SHI) and patients with work-related chronic hand eczema (OHI) were €3,164 and €3,309, respectively, approximately double the costs of managing non-working and work-unaffected (SHI) patients. This analysis shows that the costs associated with chronic hand eczema are affected by the correlation of chronic hand eczema with work, with costs being higher for occupational patients with chronic hand eczema.

Hand dermatitis – differential diagnoses, diagnostics, and treatment options

“…They amounted to EUR 3,309 for individuals with occupational hand dermatitis insured by occupational insurance associations. Both were thus more than twice as high as treatment costs for non‐working statutory health insurance patients (EUR 1,271) or working statutory health insurance patients without chronic hand dermatitis (EUR 1,442) . The authors concluded that particularly high costs arise when the patient's ability to work is impaired by chronic hand dermatitis, which is why preventive measures are necessary.…”

Economic burden of inadequate management of allergic diseases in the European Union: a GA2LEN review

“…This is because the employer will have to pay for accidents to employees, secondary losses due to illness of employees after accidents, and damage to the products because of poor mental concentration of the employee. Another significant aspect in manual labour is the fact that the allergic condition can be directly work related, and work-related chronic hand eczema is an already acknowledged significant cost factor for employers with estimated indirect costs of €3422 per person per annum (15).…”

Chronic hand eczema: A prospective analysis of the Swiss CARPE registry focusing on factors associated with clinical and quality of life improvement

“…Hand eczema (HE) is a common disease that may affect all age groups. Because HE commonly follows a relapsing or chronic disease course, it has an immense impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of the patients, the ability of patients to work, and medical care and costs . Therefore, prevention of HE, in particular chronic HE (CHE), is necessary.…”