The role of the EQ-5D in the economic evaluation of dermatological conditions and therapies.

Economic evaluation is an increasingly important aspect of assessment of the burden of skin diseases. Although dermatology data were not used in its development, the use of the EQ-5D questionnaire has been encouraged by the requirement of health technology assessment agencies for utility comparisons informing reimbursement decisions. The aim of this review was to examine the use of the EQ-5D in dermatology and to consider its future role in the economic evaluation of skin diseases. Published studies reporting the use of the EQ-5D in the economic analysis of skin diseases were carefully examined. Nineteen articles and 1 abstract published between 2003 and 2011 were identified, in which cost-of-illness, cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses were described. The EQ-5D is not a dermatology-specific measure, and it is not yet clear whether it is the most appropriate measure to support economic evaluation in the context of dermatology.