Burden of dermatology outpatient and inpatient services in China, 2011-2023

This study aimed to describe the temporal trends, regional distribution of dermatology services, and the hospitalization burden of common skin diseases in China (2011-2023) and provide reference for the government about resource allocation.

Data on dermatology outpatient visits and discharges from public hospitals by age and provinces were sourced from the China Health Statistics Yearbook.

From 2011 to 2023, the total number of dermatology outpatient visits and inpatient discharges from public hospitals in China were 1.36 billion and 7.38 million, respectively. Both the number and rate of outpatient and inpatient increased until 2019, declined in 2020, and rebound after 2021. Outpatient visits were highest in the eastern region, whereas inpatients were highest in the western region. The top five provinces for total outpatient visits were Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Sichuan, for inpatient discharges from public hospitals: Hubei, Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong, and Henan. Among four skin diseases, eczema/dermatitis had the most hospitalizations (1,209,754), followed by urticaria (719,610), benign skin tumors (653,036), and psoriasis (370,409). Total hospitalization cost for the four diseases was 14.66 billion RMB, with eczema/dermatitis accounting for the largest share (6.23 billion). Psoriasis had the longest hospital stay (median 11.58 days) and highest cost (median 8,880.66 RMB) per patient. Hospitalized for benign skin tumors, psoriasis, eczema/dermatitis, and urticaria were mainly in the 15-44, 15-44, ≥60 and 5-44 age group, respectively.

The burden of skin diseases in China showed an increased trend before the COVID-19 pandemic. Dermatology service in China showed an east-west inverse pattern between outpatient and inpatient care. Resource allocation should consider both outpatient and inpatient data. Eczema/dermatitis had the highest hospitalization burden, while psoriasis had the longest stays and highest costs. Meanwhile, age-stratified strategies should be implemented in skin diseases clinical management.