Inpatient Financial Burden of Atopic Dermatitis in the United States

Abstract

Little is known about the inpatient burden of atopic dermatitis (AD). We sought to determine the risk factors and financial burden of hospitalizations for AD in the United States. Data were analyzed from the 2002-2012 National Inpatient Sample, including a 20% representative sample of all hospitalizations in the United States. Hospitalization rates for AD or eczema were highest in the northeast during the winter and south during the summer. Geometric mean cost of care (95% confidence interval) was lower for a primary diagnosis of AD or eczema versus no AD or eczema in adults ($3,502 [$3,360-$3,651] vs. $6,849 [$6,775-$6,925]; P = 0.0004) and children ($2,716 [$2,542-$2,903] vs. $4,488 [$4,302-$4,682]; P = 0.0004). However, the high prevalence of hospitalization resulted in total inpatient costs of $8,288,083 per year for adults and $3,333,868 per year for children. In conclusion, there is a substantial inpatient financial burden of AD in the United States.

Atopic dermatitis: the relationship to temperature and seasonality in the United States

“…There are very few visits in December for AD, and other social and holiday events may modulate the number of observed visits in this month. Again, as previously stated, US hospitalization rates for AD were highest in the Northeast US during the winter and south during the summer . However, in Denmark, healthcare utilization was highest in the winter and spring .…”

“…This author has spent nearly all of his practicing career in the American South, the warmest overall region in the US, and had first‐hand experience with patient flares occurring in the summer months. Supporting the notion that summer and/or high temperatures may play a role in disease exacerbation, by examining US healthcare expenditures, Silverberg and colleagues found that hospitalization rates for AD were highest in the Northeast US during the winter and South during the summer …”

Efficacy and safety of topical OPA‐15406, a new phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor, in Japanese patients with atopic dermatitis for 8 weeks: A phase 2, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study

“…Pruritus, a hallmark of AD, can lead to skin damage as patients may scratch until bleeding excoriations result, which further aggravates the disease . Furthermore, AD is primarily a chronic, relapsing and lifelong condition for patients, and causes a substantial economic burden in addition to the disease burden . In 2014, the total number of patients with AD receiving treatment in Japan was estimated to be 456 000 according to the figures reported by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare…”

“…3 Furthermore, AD is primarily a chronic, relapsing and lifelong condition for patients, and causes a substantial economic burden in addition to the disease burden. 4 In 2014, the total number of patients with AD receiving treatment in Japan was estimated to be 456 000 according to the figures reported by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. 5 The complicated interaction among genetics, environmental factors, impaired skin barrier and immunological abnormality probably contributes to the development of AD.…”

Increased attention‐deficit/hyperactivity symptoms in atopic dermatitis are associated with history of antihistamine use

“…Atopic dermatitis (AD) constitutes the most prevalent chronic condition in infancy and causes significant morbidity and burden for patients, their families and healthcare systems . Epidemiologic studies indicate that AD is not only associated with other atopic conditions, but also with a broad spectrum of other chronic conditions .…”