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.