Healthcare Utilization and Treatment Patterns in Patients with Chronic Prurigo and Chronic Pruritus in Germany

TY - JOUR

T1 - Healthcare Utilization and Treatment Patterns in Patients with Chronic Prurigo and Chronic Pruritus in Germany

AU - Ständer, Sonja

AU - Garbe, Claudia

AU - Hagenström, Kristina

AU - Petersen, Jana

AU - Zeidler, Claudia

AU - Augustin, Matthias

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Background: To date, there have been no large studies describing real-world treatment of chronic prurigo (CPG) and pruritus (CPR) in Germany. Objective: To determine the healthcare utilization, treatment patterns, and costs associated with CPG and CPR in Germany. Methods: Retrospective analysis using anonymized claims data (German DAK-Gesundheit), based on a 40% sample of all insured adults of the DAK-Gesundheit on December 31, 2010 (N = 2,006,003). Results: Patients with CPR (prevalence 2.2%) most commonly visited general medicine/general practitioners (GPs, 80.1%), followed by gynecologists (66.1%) and dermatologists (51.1%). Patients with CPG (prevalence 0.2%) most commonly visited dermatologists (85.7%), GPs (78.1%), and ophthalmologists (47.2%). Of adult patients, 44% received at least one drug prescription. Two thirds of patients with a drug prescription received ≥1 topical drug (66.2%), and 54.3% ≥1 systemic drug (total costs of approximately EUR 550,000 and 2,500,000, respectively). Of patients with CPG, 33.8% received ≥1 systemic and 45.1% ≥1 topical drug prescription (costs of approximately EUR 360,000 vs. 105,000). Of patients with CPR, 23.5% received ≥1 systemic and 28.6% ≥1 topical drug prescription (costs of approximately EUR 2,000,000 vs. 500,000). Of patients with CPG, 5.8% received ≥1 phototherapy application vs. 1.2% of patients with CPR. Conclusions: These findings reflect the reality of care and can form a basis for the identification of overuse, underuse, and misuse in order to design CPG and CPR healthcare more effectively and efficiently.

AB - Background: To date, there have been no large studies describing real-world treatment of chronic prurigo (CPG) and pruritus (CPR) in Germany. Objective: To determine the healthcare utilization, treatment patterns, and costs associated with CPG and CPR in Germany. Methods: Retrospective analysis using anonymized claims data (German DAK-Gesundheit), based on a 40% sample of all insured adults of the DAK-Gesundheit on December 31, 2010 (N = 2,006,003). Results: Patients with CPR (prevalence 2.2%) most commonly visited general medicine/general practitioners (GPs, 80.1%), followed by gynecologists (66.1%) and dermatologists (51.1%). Patients with CPG (prevalence 0.2%) most commonly visited dermatologists (85.7%), GPs (78.1%), and ophthalmologists (47.2%). Of adult patients, 44% received at least one drug prescription. Two thirds of patients with a drug prescription received ≥1 topical drug (66.2%), and 54.3% ≥1 systemic drug (total costs of approximately EUR 550,000 and 2,500,000, respectively). Of patients with CPG, 33.8% received ≥1 systemic and 45.1% ≥1 topical drug prescription (costs of approximately EUR 360,000 vs. 105,000). Of patients with CPR, 23.5% received ≥1 systemic and 28.6% ≥1 topical drug prescription (costs of approximately EUR 2,000,000 vs. 500,000). Of patients with CPG, 5.8% received ≥1 phototherapy application vs. 1.2% of patients with CPR. Conclusions: These findings reflect the reality of care and can form a basis for the identification of overuse, underuse, and misuse in order to design CPG and CPR healthcare more effectively and efficiently.

U2 - 10.1159/000520863

DO - 10.1159/000520863

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 35176747

VL - 238

SP - 753

EP - 761

JO - DERMATOLOGY

JF - DERMATOLOGY

SN - 1018-8665

IS - 4

ER -