Estimate annual societal costs of chronic urticaria (CU) per Portuguese adult, describe how direct costs are divided between patients and the National Health Service (NHS), and assess whether quality-of-life impairment is associated with productivity loss.
Approach:
Design and participants: Cross-sectional, patient-reported online survey of adults in Portugal reporting a specialist-established CU diagnosis; data were collected from November 2021 to February 2022.
Recruitment: Participants were recruited through the national CU patient association and peer-to-peer sharing. The non-probability sampling approach meant the number invited and response rate were unknown.
Measures: The study assessed annual costs, productivity loss, and quality of life using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI); national cost estimates were weighted by population severity distribution.
Key Findings:
The severity-weighted average annual societal cost was €4,687 per patient.
Presenteeism accounted for 62% of costs.
Patients paid 64% of direct costs themselves.
Among employed patients, each one-point increase in DLQI was associated with €270 in annual productivity loss, independent of disease severity.
Interpretation:
The authors report substantial productivity-related costs and a patient-majority share of direct costs. They note that national estimates are indicative because CU prevalence is uncertain and sample representativeness is limited.
Limitations:
Non-probability recruitment and unknown response rate limit sample representativeness.
CU diagnoses were reported by participants and were not independently clinically verified.
Portuguese CU prevalence is not specifically established, limiting national estimates.
Investigators linked distinct odor patterns to life stage, sex, and skin microbes, while limited longitudinal evidence leaves their clinical utility uncertain.
