Cost-effectiveness of a barrier-strengthening moisturizing cream as maintenance therapy vs. no treatment after an initial steroid course in patients with atopic dermatitis in Sweden--with model applications for Denmark, Norway and Finland

Abstract

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects health and quality of life and it has great impact on both health-care costs and costs to the society.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop a model to analyse the cost-effectiveness of a barrier-strengthening moisturizing cream as maintenance therapy compared with no treatment after initial treatment with betamethasone valerate in adult patients with AD in Sweden. A further aim was to apply a similar health-economic analysis for Denmark, Norway and Finland.

Methods: A Markov simulation model was developed including data from three sources: (i) efficacy data from a randomized controlled trial including patients with moderate AD treated with either a moisturizing cream or no treatment, (ii) resource utilization and quality of life data, and (iii) unit prices from official price lists. A societal perspective was used and the analysis was performed according to treatment practice in Sweden. The model simulation was also applied for Denmark, Norway and Finland with inclusion of country-specific unit costs. Sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the results.

Results: The results from the present analyses of treatment for patients with moderate AD indicate that maintenance treatment with a moisturizing cream during eczema-free periods could be cost-effective in a societal perspective. Similar results were obtained for Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.

Conclusions: According to the analysis, treatment with a moisturizing cream was found to be a cost-effective option compared with no treatment in eczema-free periods in adult patients with AD in the four Nordic countries.