Patient-dermatologist agreement in psoriasis severity, symptoms and satisfaction: results from a real-world multinational survey.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease, which often requires lifelong treatment. A strong partnership between the patient and healthcare practitioners should help to achieve effective treatment outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To assess concordance of views between patients with psoriasis and their treating dermatologists relative to psoriasis severity, presence of symptoms and satisfaction with disease control achieved. METHODS: We used data from the Growth from Knowledge (GfK) Disease Atlas real-world evidence program, a syndicated, retrospective, cross-sectional survey among dermatologists and their systemic therapy eligible patients with psoriasis, conducted across nine countries. Concordance was measured through patients and their dermatologist's identical answers to the same survey questions. Concordance was evaluated using percentage agreement between dermatologists and their patients, and Cohen's kappa (κ) statistic. The level of concordance was defined as 'none' (κ ≤ 0), 'none to slight' (0.01-0.20), 'fair' (0.21-0.40), 'moderate' (0.41-0.60), 'substantial' (0.61-0.80) and 'almost perfect' (>0.8). The analysis was conducted for the overall population and for each participating country. RESULTS: Overall, 524 dermatologists and 3821 patients with psoriasis were included in the survey. Concordance of patient and dermatologist perceptions of psoriasis severity was fair both at diagnosis, and at the time of the survey (61% agreement, κ = 0.326 and 55% agreement, κ = 0.370, respectively). Higher levels of concordance were reported when patients assessed their psoriasis as moderate-to-severe (using Investigator's Global Assessment/Physician's Global Assessment [IGA/PGA] 5-point scale of 3 or 4). Concordance regarding symptoms ranged from fair to moderate (κ = 0.241-0.575). Satisfaction with psoriasis control was fair (39% agreement, κ = 0.213). Results showed different patterns of concordance across the participating countries although a low concordance was observed on the satisfaction with psoriasis control in all of them. CONCLUSION: Results from this multinational real-world survey indicate different perceptions between patients with psoriasis and their dermatologist with respect to psoriasis severity, symptoms and disease control.

A multidimensional assessment of the burden of psoriasis: results from a multinational dermatologist and patient survey.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated disease, characterized by symptoms that include itching and skin pain and is often associated with comorbidities. Patients have a substantial detriment to quality of life (QoL) and work productivity with associated cost burden. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incremental burden of comorbidities, itch and affected body areas among systemic eligible patients with psoriasis, using a multinational survey of dermatologists and their patients with psoriasis. METHODS: Multinational data from the Growth from Knowledge (GfK) Disease Atlas Global Real-World Evidence program were used. Eligible patients were identified as those who were currently having or had ever had moderate-to-severe psoriasis, and must have been receiving prescription treatments at the time of the survey. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to assess the incremental burden among psoriasis patients with physical and psychological comorbidities, itch and affected visible and sensitive body areas vs. psoriasis patients without these conditions, respectively. RESULTS: The study enrolled 3821 patients with psoriasis, from nine countries, with an average Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score of 6·4. The presence of comorbidities was associated with a significant increase in the likelihood of skin pain, lower QoL, greater work impairment and increased usage of medical resources (except in psoriasis patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes). Psoriasis patients suffering from itch and those with visible and sensitive affected body areas also had impaired QoL vs. those without these conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Psoriasis patients with physical and psychological comorbidities, itch and affected visible and sensitive body areas had lower QoL and greater work impairment compared to those without these conditions.

Hypertrichosis terminalis, gingival hyperplasia, and a characteristic face: a new distinct entity.

Congenital generalized hypertrichosis terminalis has been described in association with other features as gingival hyperplasia, osteochondrodysplasia, and a dysmorphic face. Bondeson and Miles [1993: Am J Med Genet 47:198-212] described a woman with universal congenital hypertrichosis terminalis associated with gingival hyperplasia; the face of this patient was coarse and different from other forms of hypertrichosis described before. We present an 11-year, 6-month-old girl with universal congenital hypertrichosis terminalis, gingival hyperplasia, and a characteristic coarse face resembling the patient described by Bondeson and Miles [1993: Am J Med Genet 47:198-212]. We propose that this type of congenital generalized hypertrichosis terminalis, associated with gingival hyperplasia and a coarse face, is a distinctive new entity.