Phototherapy trends in dermatology.

BACKGROUND

Use of phototherapy in the United States declined during the 1990s, largely due to unfavorable economic incentives. The trends in phototherapy since then are not well characterized.

METHODS

We analyzed the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) data on quantity of phototherapy visits and associated diagnoses and payment sources. Trends were assessed by linear regression.

RESULTS

There were an estimated 230 000 outpatient phototherapy visits per year, with an increasing trend over time (p = 0.03). Dermatologists managed 87% of the visits. Leading diagnoses associated with phototherapy included psoriasis (25%), dermatitis NOS (6%), vitiligo (6%), other dyschromia (6%), and actinic keratosis (5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Use of phototherapy for psoriasis has remained relatively low up to 2010. However, phototherapy may be becoming more frequent for conditions other than psoriasis.