Photo Credit: Tumsasedgars
At Maui Derm Hawaii, held January 22-26, 2024, Linda Stein-Gold, MD, presented as part of “Challenging Cases in Psoriasis.”
Dr. Stein-Gold published a paper recently in this area of study, which we summarize here:
Patient & Physician Perceptions of Psoriatic Disease in the United States: Results from the UPLIFT Survey
Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2023;13(6):1329-1346.
Introduction: In 2020, the Understanding Psoriatic Disease Leveraging Insights for Treatment (UPLIFT) survey was conducted globally to explore recent developments in disease perceptions, such as severity, treatment goals, and quality of life (QoL), with a focus on mild-to-moderate psoriatic disease. This presentation highlights key findings from the UPLIFT survey based on responses from individuals in the United States. Utilizing the survey results has the potential to enhance patient-physician interactions and increase overall patient satisfaction.
Methods: The UPLIFT survey, a multinational web-based study involving dermatologists, rheumatologists, and patients with self-reported diagnoses of psoriasis (PsO) and/or psoriatic arthritis (PsA), was conducted from March 2, 2020, to June 3, 2020.
Results: In the United States, 1006 patients (26.4% of the global population; PsO only: 535, PsA only: 72, PsO and PsA: 399) and 216 physicians (dermatologists: 115, rheumatologists: 101) participated. A majority of patients (66.4%) reported a body surface area (BSA) of ≤ 3, with 56.2% of them rating their disease as moderate or severe. While most PsO patients felt closely aligned with their dermatologists regarding treatment goals, PsA patients reported a lack of alignment with their rheumatologists. A significant proportion of patients expressed a moderate or strong need for improved treatments (PsO: 83.2%, PsA: 85.7%). Regardless of BSA subgroups, a majority of patients (60.8% to 86.1%) exhibited a Dermatology Life Quality Index score ≥ 6, indicating a moderately impacted QoL.
Conclusions: Despite an array of treatment options, the management of psoriatic disease remains suboptimal in the United States, with many patients reporting moderate-to-severe disease and compromised QoL, even in cases with limited skin involvement. These results underscore the existing unmet need for improved alignment between patients and physicians, emphasizing the importance of optimizing the management of PsO and PsA in the United States.
For more information regarding Maui Derm Hawaii 2024, visit the conference website. Check here often for conference updates, psoriasis-focused abstracts and features, and more!
