Review of an established UK home phototherapy service 1998-2011: improving access to a cost-effective treatment for chronic skin disease.
Type:Uv phototherapy Time:2014-11-18 16:03:32Review of an established UK home phototherapy service 1998-2011: improving access to a cost-effective treatment for chronic
skin disease.
Cameron H1, Yule S2, Dawe RS2, Ibbotson SH2, Moseley H2, Ferguson J2.
Author information
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
To review the Tayside home phototherapy service, including numbers of patients treated, diagnoses and outcomes, side-effects
and safety, cost-effectiveness and absolute costs. To consider why home or outpatient phototherapy is not available to all
patients who might benefit and how this could be addressed.
STUDY DESIGN:
Observational and cost analysis.
METHODS:
Analysis of the Tayside home phototherapy database 1998 and 2011, home phototherapy patient questionnaires, outcome data,
costs and a comparison with outpatient phototherapy. Review of literature and current national guidelines for phototherapy,
traditional systemic and biologic therapies for psoriasis.
RESULTS:
298 courses of home narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) phototherapy were undertaken by 212 patients between 1998 and 2011, five courses
in 1998 increasing to 36 in 2011. The main diagnoses treated were psoriasis (72%), atopic dermatitis (8%), and
desensitization of photodermatosis (7%). For psoriasis, 74.5% achieved clearance or minimal residual activity in a median of
30 exposures (range 10-60). The estimated costs to the hospital ranged from ¡ê229 to ¡ê314 per course (¡ê307 to ¡ê422 per
effective course for psoriasis), compared with ¡ê114 for out-patient therapy (¡ê149 per effective course for psoriasis). The
total cost to society (hospital and patient costs) is around ¡ê410 per course, compared to an estimated ¡ê550 for outpatient
therapy for this group of patients. Treatment was well tolerated, erythema rates were similar to outpatient therapy, there
were no complaints and the vast majority would choose home over outpatient phototherapy if required in the future.
CONCLUSIONS:
Hospital supervised home phototherapy appears as safe and effective as outpatient therapy and provides equality of access for
patients who cannot attend for outpatient therapy. These patients may otherwise be inadequately treated or given more costly
and higher risk systemic therapies, particularly for psoriasis. Commissioners and clinicians involved in dermatology services
should provide accessible phototherapy for all patients who might benefit, utilizing home phototherapy where outpatient
access is not possible.
Copyright © 2014 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Chronic disease; Equality of access; Home phototherapy; Narrowband ultraviolet B; TL-01
www.kerneluvb.com----The leader manufacturer of UV Phototherapy.