Suboptimal, Dissatisfying Treatment Affects Many Psoriasis Patients
Major finding: Nearly half of the patients with mild psoriasis were receiving no treatments at all in 2011, while 42% of them were treated with topical agents only.
Data source: 13 National Psoriasis Foundation surveys conducted between 2003 and 2011.
Disclosures: Dr. Armstrong has received research grants or consultant honoraria from Abbott, Amgen, and Janssen. Dr. Takeshita is a former recipient of the National Psoriasis Foundation’s research fellowship in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.
FROM JAMA DERMATOLOGY
The authors said that the study had some limitations. The results may have underestimated the data in the general population, because NPF members are more involved in their health care. Also, severity of the disease at the time of the survey may not have been representative of the patients’ disease course, they noted.
"Going forward, it will be important for us to better understand why psoriasis patients are being undertreated and their reasons for treatment dissatisfaction and discontinuation so that, as physicians, we can provide better care to our psoriasis patients," Dr. Takeshita said.
Dr. Armstrong has received research grants or consultant honoraria from Abbott, Amgen, and Janssen. Dr. Takeshita is a former recipient of the National Psoriasis Foundation’s research fellowship in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.
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