Disparities of itch severity in outpatient clinics as measured by the ItchyQuant

Summary: Abstract Body: We explored itch severity among demographic populations at a large academic medical center. Itch severity was captured via ItchyQuant, a validated patient-reported outcome measure (PRO) rating itch from 0-10. The ItchyQuant was distributed to every patient via portal 7 days prior to any dermatology encounter except for Mohs surgery as a component of the Standard Dermatology Outcome Measures (SDOM), a panel of five validated skin-related PROs. Of the 21,073 unique patients who completed the SDOM over 1 year, 8,207 (39%) responded to the ItchyQuant. The overall mean itch score was 2.81, with 44% of respondents reporting no itch (itch score 0) and 36% reporting moderate (4-7)-to-severe (8-10) itch. Females reported a higher mean itch score (3.0 vs 2.4) than males and a higher proportion of moderate (26 vs 22%) and severe (14 vs. 9%) itch. Adolescent patients (12-17 years) reported the lowest mean itch score (2.47) with 35% reporting moderate-to-severe itch while patients age 46-55 reported the highest mean itch score (3.05) with 39% reporting moderate-to-severe itch. Black/African American (AA) and Asian patients reported higher mean itch scores than White patients (4.40 and 3.30, respectively vs 2.52), as well as proportion of moderate-to-severe itch (57 and 44% vs 33%). Hispanic patients reported a higher mean itch score (3.2 vs 2.8) compared to Non-Hispanic/Latino patients and proportion of moderate-to-severe itch (44 vs. 36%). Our results corroborate other studies reporting AA with higher itch severity than Whites. Few studies compare itch severity of Asian or Hispanic patients, both of which had a higher proportion reporting higher itch severities than White/Caucasian and non-Hispanic counterparts. These findings, including the gender difference, may be attributed to different diagnoses in these populations. The fact that the oldest patients (>75) were less itchy than younger groups contradicts published conclusions regarding severity of geriatric itch. While more research is needed, our data suggest that itch disparities exist. Rene Chen¹, Suephy Chen^{1, 2} 1. Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States. 2. Dermatology, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC, United States. Clinical Research: Epidemiology and Observational Research