Cost of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in Germany: A Multicenter cost-of-illness study

Background: There is little information concerning the costs of psoriasis and patients' quality of life (QoL) in Germany. Objective: To obtain data on the annual costs and QoL ( to follow in a further publication) of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Methods: Between October 2003 and February 2004, six office-based dermatologists and eight dermatology outpatient departments retrospectively documented cost-of-illness data from a societal cost perspective in 184 patients over a 12-month period. Patients were stratified into three subgroups according to their treatment scheme. Results: Mean total costs amounted to Euro 6,709 per patient and year. The mean PASI score was 18.2 and PBSA 28.9%. Annual costs were highest with Euro 8,831 in high-need patients. They also showed the highest PASI score (22.2). Conclusion: Moderate to severe plaque psoriasis is associated with tremendous costs, particularly in patients not adequately controlled by conventional therapies, while the outcomes of patients were unsatisfactory.