Treatment Satisfaction and Health-related Quality of Life among Individuals with Psoriasis: National Psoriasis Foundation Survey Findings

Abstract

Objective To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and treatment satisfaction among individuals with psoriasis. Methods Survey data from the National Psoriasis Foundation (2003–2006) were evaluated for >3,000 adult respondents. Psoriasis Quality of Life questionnaire (PQOL-12, lower scores = better HRQoL) assessed HRQoL. Respondents indicated satisfaction with psoriasis treatment on a scale of 1 (very unsatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied). Mean scores were compared by psoriasis severity using ANOVA. Multivariate linear regression evaluated the association of PQOL-12 scores and treatment satisfaction with demographic, clinical and treatment factors. Results Respondents with severe psoriasis had significantly higher PQOL-12 scores (mean= 7.0) than respondents with moderate (5.7) and mild (4.0) psoriasis, p<0.05. PQOL-12 scores were significantly associated with age, age at diagnosis, gender and psoriasis severity. Respondents with severe or moderate psoriasis reported lower (4.6 and 4.8, respectively) treatment satisfaction than respondents with mild psoriasis (6.1), p<0.0001. Psoriasis severity, psoriatic arthritis, therapy type, dermatologist and number of doctors seen were significantly associated with treatment satisfaction. Conclusion HRQoL and treatment satisfaction were significantly lower among respondents with severe and moderate psoriasis.