title: Cost of illness from occupational hand eczema in Germany.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is little knowledge about the costs of occupational hand eczema.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the societal costs of patients with occupational hand eczema in Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  Resource use during the past year, disease severity and quality of life [Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)] were gathered for patients with occupational hand eczema before they entered a special rehabilitation programme. Costs were calculated from the societal perspective. The analysis focused on all patients and the severity groups no signs/mild (group A) and moderate to severe (group B).
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and fifty-one patients were analysed, with a mean age of 44.9~years and a mean DLQI score of 10.9; 64.9% were male. Sickness absence was recorded for 62.9% of all patients (76.4~days on average in the last 12~months). Annual societal costs were €8799 per patient. Indirect costs represented 70% of total costs. Quality of life (DLQI) was statistically different across both severity groups (group A, 7.9; group B, 12.9), but direct treatment costs were not (€2705 versus €2610, respectively). There was a trend towards higher indirect costs in patients in severity group B (group A, €5120; group B, €6796).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The annual societal costs of patients with occupational hand eczema in this study are high, and similar to those for severe psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Social Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Dermatology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany. thomas.diepgen@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Diepgen
authors.forename: Reginald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scheidt
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weisshaar
authors.forename: Swen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hieke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017281:Cost of Illness; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004485:Eczema / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010328:Patch Tests / Q000191:economics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000191:economics*; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy / Q000191:economics
keywords: contact dermatitis; costs; economics; hand eczema; occupational skin diseases