Introduction: Hispanic/Latino populations are more likely to have extensive psoriasis than the non-Hispanic/Latino population. Biologics are indicated for moderate/severe psoriasis or psoriasis with comorbidities. No studies have assessed ethnicity as a predictor of biologic utilization. We aimed to determine if biologic utilization differs between Latinos and non-Latinos with psoriasis.
Methods: This study utilizes data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) from 2003 to 2016. Psoriasis visits were selected by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth or Tenth Revision (ICD-9/ICD-10) classification. The primary outcome is biologic use at the time of visit.
Results: Of 1202 psoriasis visits, Latinos consisted of 9.7% (95% Confidence Interval 7.3-12) of the study population and 65% (95%CI 61-69) used private insurance. Multivariate analysis reveals the increased likelihood of biologic utilization in Latinos compared to non-Latinos (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.4, 95% CI 1.1-5.4, p = .03). Independently, private insurance status is associated with increased biologic use compared to public insurance (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-5.0, p = .02). Private insurance status did not differ between Latinos and non-Latinos with psoriasis (OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.5-1.9, p = .98).
Conclusions: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity and private insurance status are independent predictors of biologic utilization, suggesting that biologic mechanisms may influence the increased use of biologics in Latinos with psoriasis.
Keywords: Latino; Psoriasis; biologics; hispanic.