Health Care Resource Utilization and Costs Among Adults with Atopic Dermatitis in the United States: A Claims-Based Analysis

Abstract

Background: Data on health care resource utilization (HCRU) and costs for patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) are lacking.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine HCRU and costs associated with AD in US adults.

Methods: This retrospective study identified patients with AD from the Truven Health Marketscan Commercial Claims and Encounters database during 2013 based on ≥2 claims with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code 691.8 (n = 10,533; first claim = index event); 1-year continuous enrollment before and after index was required. Patients were age- and gender-matched in a 1:3 ratio to controls without AD (n = 31,599). Patients with AD were further categorized into 2 groups, with treatment regimens as surrogates for increasing disease severity: claim for phototherapy or systemic immunomodulatory agents (more severe) or no claim for either (less severe). Incremental differences in resource use and costs were evaluated using multivariate analysis.

Results: AD was associated with higher utilization and costs across resource categories (all P < .0001); adjusted total incremental annual costs were $3,302. Resource utilization and costs were higher in the more severe group, with adjusted total incremental annual costs of $4,463.

Conclusion: AD is associated with significant incremental health care utilization and costs, which are higher in patients with more severe disease.

Keywords: Atopic dermatitis; Burden of disease; Direct costs; Eczema; Health care resource utilization.