A survey-based assessment of the prevalence and severity of chronic hand dermatitis in a managed care organization.
Although studies conducted outside of the United States have found a 7% to 12% prevalence of chronic hand dermatitis, no US general population-based estimates have been reported. The objective of this study was to quantify the prevalence of chronic hand dermatitis in a US managed care organization population. A 13-item self-assessment questionnaire was developed and validated, with 85% sensitivity and 95% specificity. The questionnaire was mailed to 2 random member samples from a Massachusetts managed care organization: 502 general members and 878 members with dermatitis. The questionnaire had a 36.74% overall response rate, with a chronic hand dermatitis point prevalence of 17.49% and 33.33% in the general and dermatitis populations, respectively. Among the general population, the questionnaire results identified 16.94% members who had chronic hand dermatitis but had not sought dermatitis-related medical services. After direct standardization to the 2000 US Census population with respect to age, gender, and race distributions, the projected point prevalence was estimated at 16.36% in the US general population. In conclusion, we found a higher prevalence of chronic hand dermatitis than previously reported. Approximately 1 in 6 members did not seek medical attention, suggesting that chronic hand dermatitis may be underdetected and untreated and may require more awareness and effective management.
Fowler
Joseph F
JF
University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Duh
Mei Sheng
MS
Chang
Jane
J
Person
John
J
Thorn
Deborah
D
Raut
Monika
M
Ghosh
Arindam
A
Den
Elana
E
Emani
Srinivas
S
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires