Quality of Life and PRO in Psoriasis

A/Prof. Pablo Fernandez-Peñas was invited to the 40th Annual Dermatology Conference of the Persatuan Dermatologi Malaysia to talk about “Quality of Life and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Psoriasis”.
Patients with psoriasis have to deal with the challenge of rejection and life impairment, and this can be measured using different Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO). Generic instruments that are suitable for many medical conditions but with poor sensitivity for skin changes, Dermatological instruments that are adequate for most cutaneous conditions, and Psoriasis specific instruments were discussed. Pablo reviewed how instruments are more sophisticated with each “generation”. He also introduced the concepts of Utilities and Satisfaction as other PRO. He reviewed his paper comparing Skindex, DLQI, PDI and SF36.
The conclusion: every dermatologist should use a PRO, that will help in the assessment of the impact of cutaneous conditions and psoriasis in particular in the life of patients. A validated instrument, of second or third generation, will help collecting comparable and meaningful data, that should be used in the therapeutic decision of each patient with psoriasis.