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SKIN DISEASES CAUSED BY ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION: THE COST OF ILLNESS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2004

Gunnar H. Nilsson ,
Lennart Carlsson ,
Henrik Dal  and
Henrik Ullén
Gunnar H. Nilsson
Affiliation:
Karolinska Institutet
Lennart Carlsson
Affiliation:
Stockholm County Council
Henrik Dal
Affiliation:
Stockholm County Council
Henrik Ullén
Affiliation:
Karolinska Hospital
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Abstract

Objectives: To assess the annual direct and indirect costs of skin diseases caused by ultraviolet radiation.

Methods: A model for cost-of-illness, including costs for hospital care, primary care, pharmaceuticals, mortality, and morbidity, for approximately 1.8 million inhabitants in Stockholm.

Results: The total annual discounted cost-of-illness in Stockholm was approximately 162 million SEK (MSEK; approximate 2002 exchange rate: 1 U.S. dollar=10 SEK). The indirect costs were predominant and constituted approximately 91 MSEK (56% of total costs), mainly due to an estimated cost of mortality for cutaneous malignant melanoma of 84 MSEK. The direct costs of these diseases, approximately 71 MSEK, were predominated by hospital ambulatory care costs of approximately 33 MSEK. The direct costs constituted approximately 0.4% of the overall health-care costs for hospital care and primary health care in the area.

Conclusions: Skin diseases caused by ultraviolet radiation result in moderate economic losses in the community. Therefore, it may not be easy to make successful prevention of these diseases economically beneficial.

Keywords

Cost of illnessskin cancermelanomaprimary prevention
Type
RESEARCH NOTES
Information
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , December 2003 , pp. 724 - 730
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press

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