Shared Data Baseline for Atopic Dermatitis From the NEA State of AD Report

Tenesha Wallace Hood, MA, director of healthcare provider engagement at the National Eczema Association (NEA), recently discussed the State of AD 2026 National Indicator Report in an exclusive interview with Dermatology Times. The report draws on commercial, Medicare fee-for-service (FFS), and Medicaid claims and encounter data, and NEA published state-specific briefs for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.¹ Wallace Hood has worked closely on the NEA initiative funded by the CDC and on the development and dissemination of the State of AD work. She addressed the purpose of the report, the meaning of diagnosed prevalence, and the interpretation of systemic steroid findings.

Building a Shared Data Baseline for AD

Wallace Hood said earlier sources each told a different piece of the AD story. Surveys, claims studies, and smaller data sets offered value but did not allow comparison across age, insurance type, and geography at the same time.

"What we needed was one credible shared baseline," Wallace Hood said.

NEA collaborated with Milliman to commission a baseline at the national, state, and urban and rural levels. The goal was to understand diagnosed AD, where patients receive care, what treatment patterns look like, and how access to specialty care varies across the country.

Wallace Hood said the report is meant to give healthcare providers, public health professionals, and policymakers a shared data foundation to act on. Uses she described included equipping providers to diagnose and manage AD earlier, strengthening public health planning with local and current data, and reducing access disparities for communities hit hardest by AD.

Diagnosed Prevalence Versus Total Disease Burden

The report estimates diagnosed AD in the US at 2.3%, or approximately 6.9 million people. Wallace Hood called the distinction between diagnosed prevalence and everyone living with AD one of the most important in the report. The figure reflects people who have interacted with the healthcare system and received a diagnosis and code.

"Diagnosed prevalence is not the same as everyone living with AD, as we all know," Wallace Hood said.

Estimates from surveys have historically run much higher, she said. Several factors may sit behind the gap, including people with milder disease who may never seek care, individuals who face challenges in receiving a diagnosis, and other barriers to accessing care.

She said the gap reinforces a central reason for the initiative.

"AD continues to be underestimated as well as unappreciated for its impact," Wallace Hood said.

Interpreting Systemic Steroid Findings in Claims Data

Wallace Hood said she views the systemic steroid finding as a prompt for further reflection rather than a verdict on individual clinical care decisions.

"The claims data can tell us what prescriptions are filled, but it can't tell us all of the clinical circumstances behind those decisions," Wallace Hood said.

She named disease severity as one consideration. Systemic steroids may also be prescribed for other conditions commonly occurring alongside AD, such as asthma.

Wallace Hood said the findings raise a broader question of whether people with AD are able to access timely, guideline-recommended care. She said NEA can continue to play an important role through its education initiatives, resources, awareness efforts, and advocacy work.

Reference

1. Hansen D, Bazell C, Pelizzari P, McPherson R. The State of Atopic Dermatitis in the United States. National Eczema Association. 2026. Accessed October 5, 2026.