Phototherapy Utilization for Psoriasis is Declining in the United States

Phototherapy is an established treatment modality for psoriasis. The use of phototherapy for psoriasis appears to be in decline in nonfederal and non-university-based settings. We used data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to estimate the number of visits for phototherapy and psoralen ultraviolet A-range (PUVA) light therapy from 1993 to 1998. There were 873,000 visits for UV light therapy in 1993-1994, 189,000 in 1995-1996, and 53,000 in 1997-1998 (P <.0001). There were 175,000 psoralen visits in 1993-1994, 61,000 in 1995-1996, and 25,000 in 1997-1998 (P =.0053). Similar decreases in phototherapy visits occurred in our university-based practice. The decline in phototherapy represents decreased utilization of a safe and effective treatment for psoriasis.