title: Treatment costs of psoriasis in a tertiary-level clinic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The costs of psoriasis to a tertiary-level clinic vary considerably depending on the country of study and methods used. Hospitalisation and phototherapy have been significant cost components. This study was performed to estimate the distribution and relative magnitude of the costs of psoriasis to a tertiary-level clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on 233 patients, outpatient and phototherapy visits and the days hospitalised were collected from the treatment provider's records. The visit costs represented true costs, used to charge the final payers. Patients were analysed according to their treatment modalities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On average, hospitalised patients (3.4%) had 31-fold higher total costs than non-hospitalised patients (p < 0.0001). The costs of hospitalisations formed 45% of all the treatment costs to the entire study population. Phototherapy accumulated 19% of the overall treatment costs. Patients receiving biological drugs or both phototherapy and traditional systemic therapy had the highest costs of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study indicates that a small percentage of all psoriasis patients generate a large proportion of the overall costs to a tertiary-level hospital. Treatment modality has a significant effect on the costs to a tertiary-level hospital.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland. atmust@utu.fi.
authors.forename: Anssi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mustonen
authors.forename: Mauri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leino
authors.forename: Kalle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mattila
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Koulu
authors.forename: Risto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tuominen
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000191:economics*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers