OBJECTIVES : Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic dermatological disease that affects the skin in both children and adults reducing the quality of life significantly. AD is quite prevalent in Saudi Arabia with an estimated prevalence of more than 3% of the adult population. This study aimed to assess the economic and humanistic burden of AD in adolescents and adults in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS : A literature review was conducted followed by experts’ interviews. Relevant published data about quality of life broken down by age was adapted to the Saudi population demographics. The interviews were used to collect health care resource utilization. Furthermore, unit costs were collected from both secondary sources, and expert interviews. Accordingly, the total direct cost was calculated after adjustment for untreated patients. The average productivity lost by patients from the literature was adapted to the Saudi settings putting into consideration prevalence, employment rate, age, sex, and labor force participation rate, based on which, AD related indirect cost due to absenteeism and presentism were calculated.

RESULTS : Concerning humanistic burden, the weighted average quality adjusted life years (QALYs) lost because of AD was approximately 0.25 QALYs per patient annually, looking at the 340 thousand adolescent and adult in Saudi Arabia with AD, the estimated total utility loss was approximately 85,000 QALYs annually. Regarding economic burden, indirect costs of AD represented about 0.05% of the GDP, at more than 1.4 billion SAR annually. The annual direct cost related to AD was about 3,000 SAR per patient, and accounted for a total economic burden of more than 300 million SAR annually.

CONCLUSIONS : Atopic dermatitis poses a significant burden in Saudi Arabia especially considering the indirect cost. Also, AD has prominent impact on patient’s quality of life and social wellbeing. On optimal disease control, both humanistic burden and indirect costs may be reduced.