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Published on: May 28, 2013
Phototherapy trends in dermatology
Kara Luersen1, Tushar S Dabade, Cameron E West
1Departments of Dermatology, Center for Dermatology Research, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC , USA.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment
|May 22, 2013
Summary
Phototherapy use is increasing, with dermatologists managing most visits. While psoriasis treatment remains low, other skin conditions are increasingly treated with phototherapy.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Medical Informatics
Background:
- Phototherapy use declined in the 1990s due to economic factors.
- Trends in phototherapy utilization since the 1990s are not well-documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize trends in outpatient phototherapy visits in the United States.
- To identify diagnoses and payment sources associated with phototherapy.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) data.
- Assessment of phototherapy visit trends using linear regression.
Main Results:
- An estimated 230,000 outpatient phototherapy visits occurred annually, showing an increasing trend (p=0.03).
- Dermatologists managed 87% of these visits.
- Top diagnoses included psoriasis (25%), dermatitis NOS (6%), vitiligo (6%), other dyschromia (6%), and actinic keratosis (5%).
Conclusions:
- Phototherapy use for psoriasis remained low through 2010.
- Evidence suggests increasing phototherapy utilization for conditions beyond psoriasis.
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