The burden of atopic dermatitis in US adults: Health care resource utilization data from the 2013 National Health and Wellness Survey.

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of data on the burden of atopic dermatitis (AD) in adults relative to the general population.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the AD burden in adult patients relative to both matched non-AD controls and matched patients with psoriasis in terms of comorbidities, health care resource utilization (HCRU), and costs.

METHODS

Adults (≥18 years) who self-reported a diagnosis of AD or psoriasis and adult non-AD controls were identified from the 2013 US National Health and Wellness Survey. Patients with AD were propensity score-matched with non-AD controls and patients with psoriasis on demographic variables. Patient-reported outcomes were analyzed between matched cohorts.

RESULTS

Patients with AD had a significantly greater risk for atopic comorbidities, as well as significantly greater HCRU and total cost compared with non-AD controls. The burden of AD was generally comparable to that of psoriasis, although patients with AD reported increased use of emergency room visits compared with patients with psoriasis.

LIMITATIONS

Patient-reported data are susceptible to recall bias and erroneous classification.

CONCLUSIONS

Adult patients with AD reported a substantial disease burden, suggesting an unmet need for more effective AD treatment options.