Societal economic burden and determinants of costs for atopic dermatitis

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease while the economic burden of AD by severity is not adequately understood. Objective To estimate the societal economic burden and to identify cost determinants of AD. Methods In this population‐based, controlled cohort study in Sweden, patients with AD were identified through diagnosis codes in primary or secondary care or by dispensed medications using administrative healthcare registers. A reference cohort without AD was randomly selected from the general population. Healthcare costs (primary/secondary care visits and dispensed medication) and indirect costs (care for sick children and long‐term sick leave for adults) were calculated annually. AD patients were stratified by age (paediatric [age