Patient Burden And Impact Of Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis In the Spanish Healthcare System: The APOLO Cross-Sectional Study
Keywords:
Atopic dermatitis, pruritus, burden of disease, quality of life, healthcare resourcesAbstract
Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory chronic condition associated with a significant physical, psychological, and economic burden.
Objective: This study aims to determine the multidimensional impact of atopic dermatitis (AD) on patients and the Spanish healthcare system.
Methods: The APOLO is a multicenter, descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted at 12 Spanish sites, in which participants completed a series of scales and questionnaires.
Results: Of 62 patients included (54.8% men; mean [standard deviation] age: 33.1 [12.8] years), 61.3% and 38.7% had moderate and severe AD, respectively (validated Investigator Global Assessment scale for AD). AD affected a mean of 43.3% (22.1) of the body surface, and patients reported a median (interquartile range) of 4.0 (2.0-10.0) flares in the previous year. The mean Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) score was 19.8 (6.4), indicating a severe eczema stage. Additionally, 57.1% of patients experienced pain daily due to scratching or skin inflammation. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) showed a strong AD impact on patients’ quality of life (mean DLQI=14.3 [7.6]), positively correlated with severity, pruritus, and pain. AD also affected patients’ work/academic activities and sleep. The disease was mostly treated with topical corticosteroids (81.5%) and emollients (75.9%). In the prior year, no patient required hospitalization; and 25% of patients resorted to alternative therapies/unlicensed products.
Conclusions: AD profoundly impacts patients’ quality of life and entails high economic costs. This study emphasizes the need for more effective treatment strategies and an improved understanding of the AD burden to utilize public healthcare resources more efficiently.
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