Use of health care services by patients with psoriasis: A population-based study

L. T. Kao, K. H. Wang, H. C. Lin, Hsien-Chang Li, S. Yang, S. D. Chung

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background Although psoriasis is seldom life threatening, very few studies have compared differences in health care service use between patients with and without psoriasis. Objectives To investigate differences in health care service use between patients with and without psoriasis. Methods Patient details and data on their use of health services were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. We included 3649 patients with psoriasis and 3649 without it. Each patient was followed for a 1-year period to estimate their utilization of health care resources. Student t-tests were used to compare differences in health care services use between patients with and without psoriasis. Results For dermatology services, patients with psoriasis had significantly more outpatient visits (3·5 vs. 0·9), and higher outpatient and total costs (US$148·00 vs. US$12·20 and US$581·60 vs. US$347·20, respectively) than those without psoriasis. For nondermatology services, patients with psoriasis had more outpatient visits (21·3 vs. 17·6), and higher outpatient and total costs (US$904·60 vs. US$663·50 and US$1335·50 vs. US$998·30, respectively) than those without psoriasis. For overall health care service use, patients with psoriasis had significantly more outpatient visits (24·8 vs. 18·5; P <0·01) and greater total costs (US$1917·10 vs. US$1345·60; P <0·01) than those without psoriasis. This indicates that the total cost was about 1·4-fold greater for patients with psoriasis than those without it. Conclusions Patients with psoriasis used health care services significantly more often than those without psoriasis. What's already known about this topic? Although there are reports in the literature on the economic burden of psoriasis, few studies have compared differences in health care services use between patients with psoriasis and those without it. Only one study has previously reported that patients with psoriasis incur greater health care costs than a general group of patients. What does this study add? With regard to both dermatology and nondermatology services, patients with psoriasis had significantly more outpatient visits, and greater outpatient and total costs than those without it. The total cost for all health services was about 1·4-fold greater for patients with psoriasis than those without it.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1346-1352
Number of pages7
JournalBritish Journal of Dermatology
Volume172
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 1 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Dermatology

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