Patient’s Perception and Importance of Clear/Almost Clear Skin in Moderate-to-severe Plaque Psoriasis

Background: Psoriasis has been reported to impact patients’ health-related quality of life. Limited data are available on patients’ perception of this disease and the importance of clear/almost clear skin as a treatment goal in Taiwan. Objectives: A clear about Psoriasis worldwide survey was conducted among patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis to assess patients’ perspective on the impact of psoriasis on their personal and professional lives, treatment satisfaction, and the importance of achieving clear/almost clear skin. Here, we report the data for the Taiwanese patient population. Methods: A 20-min survey consisting of multiple choice questions and validated scales to assess disease severity and patient’ quality of life was conducted between October 2015 and March 2016. Patients (age ≥18 years) with medically diagnosed moderate-to-severe psoriasis (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index [PASI] score ≥10 or PASI >5 to <10, plaques on visible or sensitive areas), not participated in any online surveys on psoriasis in the past 4 weeks were included in the survey. Results: Eighty-four respondents (male, 56%) with an average PASI score of 17.1 were analyzed. The majority of respondents (77%) had not achieved clear/almost clear skin and 71% believed that it is unachievable. Overall, 20% of patients did not feel comfortable telling their doctor that they want clear/almost clear skin, and 32% had never discussed it. Furthermore, 19% of patients were dissatisfied with their current treatment and 46% were uncertain if they were satisfied or dissatisfied. Overall, 96% of respondents experienced either discrimination or humiliation in daily life and 51% felt that psoriasis affected their professional life. Conclusions: The results of this survey demonstrate that, despite significant progress in the management of psoriasis, the treatment satisfaction level of patients remains suboptimal in Taiwan. The data highlight the need for patients to discuss their treatment goals with clinicians.