Hospitalization for skin disease improves quality of life.

Abstract
Inpatient dermatologic services are diminishing. A recent survey1of dermatology residents reports that 17% do not care for hospitalized patients and that less than 1% of residents care for 60 or more hospitalized patients per month. One reason for this decrease is the increasing pressure to contain medical costs. Stringent guidelines have been set up for hospital admission, length of stay, and intensity of care, all encompassed in a specific diagnostic related group that represents a certain sum for a given diagnosis. Despite these firm criteria, few objective tests are used routinely to assess the outcome, effectiveness, or cost of dermatologic hospitalization. One outcome measure is the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, which is often used to quantify the effectiveness of treatments for psoriasis.2In addition, a patient-oriented measure of outcome, the Dermatology Life Quality Index, and other depression and anxiety tests can be used to measure objectively

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