Willingness to pay for treatment of rosacea and its influencing factors: a survey of patients in Changsha region / 中华皮肤科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the willingness to pay (WTP) for treatment and its influencing factors, to evaluate the correlation between the disease burden (quality of life) index and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) in patients with rosacea, and to provide a basis for individualized diagnosis and treatment.Methods:Patients with rosacea were enrolled via a WeChat platform at Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital from August 2019 to February 2020. An online questionnaire survey was performed to investigate the WTP for a single session of treatment by which rosacea is assumed to be cured, and general information as well as data about clinical characteristics and DLQI scores were collected. Factors influencing high WTP were analyzed by using a logistic regression model.Results:Among the 435 respondents, 397 (91.3%) were females and 38 (8.7%) were males, with an age of 28.46 ± 8.33 years (range, 18- 63 years) . The respondents spent 10 474.95 ± 834.19 ( M[ P25, P75], 5 000 [1 000, 10 000]) RMB Yuan on previous medical treatment; the WTP was 12 510.86 ± 990.84 ( M[ P25, P75], 5 000[2 000, 10 000]) RMB Yuan; the DLQI score was 11.2 ± 0.38. Logistic regression analysis showed that lesions on the cheeks ( OR= 1.89, P= 0.041) , annual household income of > 100 000 RMB Yuan ( OR= 1.63, P= 0.029) , disease duration of > 1 year ( OR= 2.82, P < 0.001) , high number of visits in the past 1 year ( OR= 1.62, P < 0.001) , high self-rated rosacea severity score ( OR= 1.16, P= 0.002) and high DLQI score ( OR= 1.52, P < 0.001) were associated high WTP for treatment. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the DLQI score was positively correlated with WTP ( rs= 0.27, P < 0.05) and relative WTP (the proportion of WTP to monthly income, rs= 0.133, P < 0.05) . Conclusions:Among the patients with rosacea in Changsha, the WTP was at a moderate to high level, reflecting a serious impact on the quality of life. The WTP value can indirectly reflect the quality of life and help to rapidly understand the burden of disease in patients with rosacea.