Annual direct and indirect health care costs of chronic idiopathic urticaria: a cost analysis of 50 nonimmunosuppressed patients.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate annual direct and indirect health care costs in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) managed with conventional therapies.


METHODS
A cost analysis consisting of a survey-guided and retrospective medical record review of direct and indirect health care costs from a societal perspective in patients with CIU.


METHODS
The Johns Hopkins University allergy and dermatology ambulatory clinics.


METHODS
Fifty adults with active CIU were recruited in sequential order. Individuals who were taking corticosteroids or other immunosuppressants in the month before enrollment were excluded from the study.


METHODS
We estimated direct health care costs, which included laboratory, medication, outpatient visit, and emergency department and hospital visit costs. We also estimated indirect costs, which included earnings lost owing to travel to outpatient visits and absences from work owing to CIU-related illness.


RESULTS
Patients with CIU consumed a mean (SD) of $2047 ($1483) annually. Because CIU is primarily an outpatient disease, medication costs alone accounted for 62.5% ($1280) of the total annual cost. Indirect costs accounted for 15.7% ($322) of the total costs.


CONCLUSIONS
High medication costs, followed by total indirect costs, result in the largest economic burden among patients with CIU. High medication costs may place low-income patients at risk for suboptimal treatment and increased burden due to poorly controlled disease. Our estimated total health care costs for CIU are comparable to those of other skin diseases such as vitiligo and bullous disease.
Delong
Laura K
LK
Dermatology Clinical and Outcomes Research Unit, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Clinic, Bldg A, 1365 Clifton Rd NE, Ste 1100, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Culler
Steven D
SD
Saini
Sarbjit S
SS
Beck
Lisa A
LA
Chen
Suephy C
SC
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D014581:Urticaria / Q000191:economics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*