New Study Finds Skin Diseases Cost U.S. $37 Billion Annually

SKIN DISEASE UPDATE

With one in three Americans suffering from skin disease at any time, dermatologists and patient advocates have called on Congress for increased federal research funding. Skin diseases are far more prevalent than once thought and cost Americans an estimated $37.17 billion annually, according to a comprehensive new study released by the American Academy of Dermatology Association and the Society for Investigative Dermatology. For the first time, these findings quantify the considerable toll that such diseases take on both the health care system and the U.S. economy due to doctor visits, over- the-counter and prescription medicine costs, and lost work productivity.

The new study found that at any given time, one in every three people in the United States suffers from a skin disease – exceeding the prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and cancer. Among the most economically burdensome skin disorders are skin ulcers and wounds, melanoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer, atopic dermatitis, and acne, the cost of which totaled $22.46 billion in 2004.

To ensure that dermatologie research keeps pace with the increasing frequency and rising costs associated with skin diseases, scores of dermatologists – most of them researchers – and patient advocates are calling upon Congress to increase overall research funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by 6%.

It is estimated that NIH research expenditures on skin diseases will total nearly $ 172 million in 2005 – substantially lower than the amount committed to other diseases with lower health and economic burdens – and in some cases, including kidney disease, lower prevalence. NIH funding in 2005 for kidney disease is estimated to be $396 million, for example, and NIH funding for arthritis is estimated to be $383 million; both are more than twice the research dollars allocated to skin disease.

Because skin diseases are often accompanied by physically visible abnormalities, they can cause significant psychological burdens for patients, often affecting their quality of life. In fact, patients with atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, or acne report greater detrimental impact on their quality of life than do patients with high cholesterol, hypertension, angina, or asthma.

Additional study findings include:

* Direct costs spent on skin disease each year in the United States total more than $26.54 billion and include physician and emergency room visits, prescription and over-the-counter medicines, inpatient hospital care and ambulatory care.

* The indirect costs of skin disease total $10.2 billion, including missed workdays, lost productivity at work, restricted activity workdays, and lost wages due to premature death.

* The five most costly diseases – skin ulcers and wounds, acne, cutaneous fungal infections, nonmelanoma skin cancer, and herpes simplex and zoster – have direct medical expenditures in excess of $16.12 billion.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers at The Lewin Group, a nonpartisan, national healthcareconsulting group. Data were collected on 21 skin diseases from nationally representative data sources on disease prevalence, mortality, utilization of health services, and health expenditures, as well as information from peer- reviewed medical literature. An advisory panel of experts provided guidance on the study design, analysis, and results interpretation.

Copyright Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. Aug 2005