Abstract
ObjectiveTo ascertain impairment in quality of life and work productivity among patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.DesignFrom 2003 through 2011, the National Psoriasis Foundation collected survey data from patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis via email and telephone correspondences.SettingSurvey data were collected from psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patients in the general community in the U.S.Main Outcome MeasuresQuality of life focusing on emotional impact (anger, frustration, helplessness, etc.) and physical impact (pain, pruritus, physical irritation, etc.); employment status.PatientsThe surveys were performed through random sampling of participants from a database of over 75,000 patients.ResultsFrom 2003 to 2011, 5,604 patients completed the surveys. Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis affected overall emotional wellbeing in 88% of patients, and they interfered with enjoyment of life in 82%. Most patients reported experiencing anger (89%), frustration (89%), helplessness (87%), embarrassment (87%), and self-consciousness (89%). Many patients also actively concealed physical manifestations of their diseases (83%), and experienced pain (83%) and pruritus (93%) regularly. Of note, 12% of patients were unemployed, and 11% worked part-time. Among unemployed patients, 92% cited psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis as the sole reasons for not working. Among working patients, 49% missed work days regularly due to psoriasis. Compared to patients with mild psoriasis, patients with severe psoriasis have 1.8 times greater odds to be unemployed after adjusting for age and gender (Adjusted OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.4–2.3).ConclusionPatients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis continue to experience significant impairment of quality of life and work productivity.
Highlights
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the skin, nails, and the joints
Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis affected overall emotional wellbeing in 88% of patients, and they interfered with enjoyment of life in 82%
37.1% reported that psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) was a part of their identity; 25.7% reported that psoriasis or PsA was an annoyance; 20.3% reported that psoriasis caused social embarrassment, and 16.6% reported that psoriasis was physically painful
Summary
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the skin, nails, and the joints. The quality of life assessments allow clinicians to determine the impact of psoriasis beyond its physical burden, and examining the effect of psoriasis on employment reveals the economic cost of having psoriasis. These data will generate the necessary evidence for continued advocacy to obtain federal and private support for psoriasis research. With over 75,000 patient members, the NPF survey enables direct assessment of quality of life from its large patient membership. This type of information is generally unavailable through chart reviews or automated extraction of
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