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The Importance of Skin Disease as Assessed by “Willingness-To-Pay”

  • Published:
Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery: Incorporating Medical and Surgical Dermatology

Abstract

Background: To achieve optimal resource allocation in health care, it is necessary to value competing resource uses according to the benefit derived from those uses. Skin disease makes as great an impact as other serious medical conditions when assessed by effects on health-related quality of life. Objective: To confirm the high impact of skin disease by comparing patients’ willingness to pay (WTP) to be cured or relieved from symptoms of skin and nonskin conditions. Methods: We searched the published literature on WTP to compare the impact of dermatologic conditions with the impact of other medical conditions. A total of 46 articles were identified of which 10 included information on willingness to pay for cure reported on a monthly basis. Results: WTP for skin diseases fell in the range of $125–260/month and was comparable or higher than all but one of the other identified conditions. Conclusion: Willingness to pay for relief from skin diseases is comparable to that for relief of other serious medical conditions. Skin diseases are associated with a significant adverse impact on patients’ lives.

Antécédents

En vue de parvenir à une allocation optimale des ressources médicales, il est nécessaire d’en évaluer les différents usages selon les avantages de chacun. La maladie de la peau a le même effet sur la qualité de vie que toute autre maladie grave. Objectif: Confirmer 1’impact important de la maladie de la peau en comparant la volonté de payer (VDP) des patients afin de soulager les symptômes associés aux maladies de la peau et ceux associés à d’autres maladies. Méthodes: Nous avons effectué des recherches sur les publications traitant de la VDP en vue de comparer l’impact des troubles dermatologiques avec l’impact d’autres sortes d’états pathologiques. En total, 46 articles ont été identifiés, dont 10 contiennent des données sur la volonté de payer pour une guérison sur une base mensuelle. Résultats: La VDP pour un trouble dermatologique varie entre 125 $ et 260 $ par mois, ce qui est comparable ou supérieur à toutes les autres pathologies, sauf une. Conclusion: La volonté de payer afin de soulager les conditions dermatologiques est comparable à celle la VDP pour soulager d’autres maladies graves. Les troubles de la peau peuvent avoir d’importants effets nuisibles sur la vie des patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Center for Dermatology Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

    Lauren Parks, Rajesh Balkrishnan & Steven R. Feldman

  2. Department of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

    Rajesh Balkrishnan

  3. Galderma SA, La Défense Cedex France

    Line Hamel–Gariépy

Authors
  1. Lauren Parks
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  2. Rajesh Balkrishnan
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  3. Line Hamel–Gariépy
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  4. Steven R. Feldman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven R. Feldman.

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Parks, L., Balkrishnan, R., Hamel–Gariépy, L. et al. The Importance of Skin Disease as Assessed by “Willingness-To-Pay”. JCMS 7, 369–371 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10227-002-0145-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10227-002-0145-y

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