WhatsApp: A Real-Time Tool to Reduce the Knowledge Gap and Share the Best Clinical Practices in Psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects around 100 million people worldwide. The burden of disease is high, but more recent therapies show promising results. Clinicians need, however, more training in the use of such therapies. INTRODUCTION: Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is structured around the promise of delivering medical education at a distance, empowering clinicians who operate in remote areas. The use of instant messaging services, such as WhatsApp® Messenger, has the potential to improve on the existing framework and bridge the existing gap of knowledge. This article reports on a study concerning the implementation of a WhatsApp discussion group in Project ECHO Psoriasis in Argentina. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred thirty-two dermatologists in Argentina were invited to participate in the WhatsApp discussion group. After 1 year of participation, a follow-up questionnaire was used to assess the effectiveness of the project. RESULTS: Eighty dermatologists participated. All questions placed in the discussion were answered by a psoriasis specialist, 79% of which were answered within the first 5 min. Clinicians report significant improvement in diagnosis, comorbidities, and treatment with both conventional and biological therapies. DISCUSSION: Preliminary results are promising. This new cost-effective solution builds on the existing Project ECHO Psoriasis in Argentina and shows potential in bridging the gap of knowledge, promoting better clinical decisions through empowerment of medical doctors operating in remote locations. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to increase generalization of the results. Moreover, it would be interesting to match the data from the discussion group with follow-up questionnaires.

[Implementation of a telementoring model of medical education in psoriasis]. / Implementación de una modalidad de educación médica a distancia en psoriasis.

The ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) project is a model of distance medical education. Its mission is to expand knowledge and evaluate the results of this action, both in the training of human resources in healthcare and in the accomplishment of the best medical practices in the community target. It is developed through case presentation videoconferencing, between experts in chronic and complex diseases and physicians, with the aim of reducing the healthcare asymmetries between large urban centers and peripherals areas. We have implemented this telementoring for dermatologists and residents who treat patients with psoriasis. After 10 sessions, a survey was conducted to evaluate the educational attainment of the participants. A significant improvement was found in their abilities to determine the severity of psoriasis, screening for arthritis, assessment of the patient before beginning systemic treatment and appropriate follow-up under different systemic therapies. ECHO replication model helped improve the skills of the participants in the management of this disease, and reduced professional isolation.

Implementación de una modalidad de educación médica a distancia en psoriasis / Implementation of a telementoring model of medical education in psoriasis

El proyecto ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) es un modelo de educación médica a distancia. Tiene por misión expandir conocimiento y evaluar los resultados de esta acción, tanto en la formación del recurso humano en salud como en el cumplimiento de las mejores prácticas médicas en la población alcanzada. Se desarrolla a través de la presentación de casos clínicos por videoconferencias entre expertos en enfermedades crónicas y complejas y profesionales que manejan dichas enfermedades, con el objetivo de disminuir las asimetrías de atención entre los grandes centros urbanos y los periféricos. Implementamos este formato de telementoring para pacientes con psoriasis orientado a dermatólogos y residentes. Luego de 10 sesiones de videoconferencia, se realizó una encuesta para evaluar los logros educativos de los participantes. Se observó una mejoría significativa en sus habilidades para determinar el grado de compromiso de la psoriasis, detectar artritis, evaluar al paciente antes de iniciar tratamiento sistémico y el seguimiento apropiado bajo las diferentes terapias sistémicas indicadas. La replicación del modelo ECHO® contribuyó a mejorar la capacidad de los participantes en el manejo de esta enfermedad y disminuir el aislamiento profesional.

The ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) project is a model of distance medical education. Its mission is to expand knowledge and evaluate the results of this action, both in the training of human resources in healthcare and in the accomplishment of the best medical practices in the community target. It is developed through case presentation videoconferencing, between experts in chronic and complex diseases and physicians, with the aim of reducing the healthcare asymmetries between large urban centers and peripherals areas. We have implemented this telementoring for dermatologists and residents who treat patients with psoriasis. After 10 sessions, a survey was conducted to evaluate the educational attainment of the participants. A significant improvement was found in their abilities to determine the severity of psoriasis, screening for arthritis, assessment of the patient before beginning systemic treatment and appropriate follow-up under different systemic therapies. ECHO replication model helped improve the skills of the participants in the management of this disease, and reduced professional isolation.

Body Region Involvement and Quality of Life in Psoriasis: Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Adalimumab.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis severity and treatment responsiveness vary by body region, which differentially impacts quality of life (QoL). OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to examine adalimumab efficacy by body region and regional response and QoL relationship. METHODS: Patients (n = 1212) with moderate-to-severe psoriasis were randomized 2:1 to 80 mg at week 0, followed by adalimumab 40 mg or placebo every other week for 16 weeks in the double-blind REVEAL study. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) responses and Dermatology Life Quality Index outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Week 16 regional mean PASI improvements were significantly greater with adalimumab (83.1 ± 1.57, 81.3 ± 1.58, 75.7 ± 1.34, and 73.9 ± 1.26% in the trunk, head, upper extremities, and lower extremities, respectively; all p < 0.001 vs. placebo). Likewise, percentages of patients with regional PASI ≥75/≥90/100% reduction from baseline were significantly higher with adalimumab (all p < 0.001); adalimumab responses were greater for the trunk (77.9/65.0/59.1%) and head (74.6/66.1/62.8%; all p ≤ 0.0001 vs. lower) than upper (67.7/45.1/39.6%; p = 0.4, p = 0.04, p = 0.0005, respectively, vs. lower) and lower extremities (65.7/40.0/31.3%). Adalimumab significantly improved Dermatology Life Quality Index scores vs. placebo (8.2- vs 1.7-point decrease from baseline; p < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: The study was a post hoc analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Adalimumab treatment resulted in statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in disease severity and QoL. QoL improvements were associated with PASI responses in all body regions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00237887.