Calculating the cost savings of inpatient dermatology
Facts at your Fingertips
By Emily Margosian, assistant editor, May 1, 2019
Despite an increasing need for skin expertise in hospital settings, focus on inpatient consultative dermatology can often fly under the radar. However, new data from JAAD (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2019.01.031) indicates that dermatologists’ unique strengths in the recognition and management of uncommon and severe skin disorders are not only of value to patients who can expect improved care and outcomes — but also to payers and health care systems from a cost-savings perspective.
The article estimates that dermatology consultation for patients with inflammatory skin conditions is not only associated with a 10-fold reduction in the odds of readmission but may also reduce the length of hospitalization by approximately 2.64 days.
Authors also looked at data relating to the cost savings of dermatology consultation for suspected cellulitis in a hospital setting. For a more complete breakdown of the estimated economic impact, see the graphic below.
