Sometimes it’s difficult to talk about exactly how your psoriasis is affecting you in the short time you have with your doctor.1 The PSORIASIS IMPACTS MATTER guide is a tool that can help you prepare for your next consultation, and make the most of the time you have with your doctor.
PSORIASIS IMPACTS MATTER will guide you through 3 steps for maximising each consultation:
Know your psoriasis: Recognise how psoriasis affects you and which special areas are affected.
Know what to expect: What you need to know to have realistic expectations.
Talk to your dermatologist: How to make the most of your consultation with your dermatologist.
Sometimes it’s difficult to talk about exactly how your psoriasis is affecting you in the short time you have with your doctor.1 The PSORIASIS IMPACTS MATTER Guide is a tool that can help you prepare for your next consultation, and make the most of the time you have with your doctor.
PSORIASIS IMPACTS MATTER will guide you through 3 steps which aim to help you maximise each consultation:
Know your psoriasis: Recognise how psoriasis affects you and which special areas are affected.
Know what to expect: What you need to know to have realistic expectations.
Talk to your dermatologist: How to make the most of your consultation with your dermatologist.
See how David Trigos, a psoriasis patient and Vice President of the European Umbrella Organisation for Psoriasis Movements (EUROPSO) highlights the importance of clear communication between patients and doctors.
PSORIASIS IMPACTS MATTER can help you prepare for your next consultation so that you can communicate effectively with your doctor and gain the maximum benefit from their expertise.
See how David Trigos, a psoriasis patient and Vice President of the European Umbrella Organisation for Psoriasis Movements (EUROPSO) highlights the importance of clear communication between patients and doctors.
PSORIASIS IMPACTS MATTER can help you prepare for your next consultation so that you can communicate effectively with your doctor and gain the maximum benefit from their expertise.
How do you prepare for each appointment?
Any of the symptoms below are important to mention to your dermatologist. Information like this can affect your doctor’s assessment of your condition and what treatment they can prescribe to you.
Physical symptoms
Itch
Discomfort
Tiredness
Lack of sleep
Plaques
Redness
Crusting
Peeling
Scaling
Flaking
Pain
Burning
Stinging
Bleeding
Location of plaques
Head
Scalp
Face
Arms
Underarms
Legs
Chest
Back
Genitalia
Hands
Feet
Nails
How they make
you feel
Embarrassed
Depressed
Isolated
Lonely
Anxious
Stressed
Unpresentable
Ugly
Dirty
Ashamed
Lacking confidence
Inferior
Vulnerable
Insecure
How they impact
your life
Work
Job
Self-esteem
Financial
Strain
Socialising
Swimming
Sports
Intimate relationships
Relationships with others
The term quality of life is often used by healthcare professionals to describe the invisible impact of a disease or treatment on your physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being. It reflects your ability to enjoy what you consider a normal life and is very important to discuss with your doctor.2
How do you describe your symptoms with your doctor?
You may have an idea of what to expect from your doctor and from the treatment recommended to you, but it is important to discuss your expectations clearly at every visit. This can help you and your doctor agree on the right approach for your treatment.
A dermatologist must follow established guidelines to assess your condition and prescribe the right treatment for you.
What this means for you3
They will ask you questions to help them measure the severity of your visible psoriasis objectively
They should factor in whether psoriasis affects your physical, psychological, or social well-being
They may ask you to provide some personal information to understand how psoriasis affects your everyday life
They must sometimes follow a set sequence of treatment options, testing your response to certain treatments before they can prescribe others
Psoriasis cannot be cured, but it can be controlled.
What this means for you4,5
There are many ways to treat psoriasis and manage its symptoms
Treatment may help you improve your quality of life and lower your risk of related diseases
You may have to try multiple treatments before you find the right one for you
Treatment will make you feel better one step at a time. It may not cure everything at one go
If your current treatment stops working or works less than when you first started taking it, you may want to talk to your dermatologist so they can reassess and change your treatment plan as appropriate
How do you discuss your expectations with your doctor?
When you talk to your doctor, describe your visible symptoms (the affected areas on your skin and any special areas that cause you particular trouble, any pain or itching, etc), and then describe your invisible symptoms (trouble sleeping, any feelings that arise, your psoriasis preventing you from doing something you enjoy, etc). Discussing the physical, emotional, and social impacts of your disease gives your doctor a better picture of what treatments may be best suited for you.
It is important to discuss all your symptoms and the total impact of your condition so you and your doctor can find the best possible treatment for you.
In a recent survey of over 2,000 participants with psoriasis, 61% of the people described their condition as moderate or severe despite being categorised as having mild psoriasis based on the size of their plaques.12 This suggests that plaque size only tells us part of the story, and that the location of the plaques plays a large role on how the disease affects patients. The survey also showed that around half of the people whose plaques covered a limited amount of their skin received no treatment or only treatments with creams. Even with the availability of more treatment options, nearly one-third of people with psoriasis are still not receiving treatment, regardless of how bad their psoriasis is.13
How do you talk to your doctor about your psoriasis and what is bothering you?
PSORIASIS IMPACTS MATTER can help you prepare in 5 easy-to-follow steps, with specific questions for you to answer.
Here’s a brief summary:
Start by telling your dermatologist what you want from the appointment.
Tell them how psoriasis affects you physically, mentally, and socially.
Tell them your treatment history.
Clarify any terms that are unfamiliar or unclear.
Do you have any final questions before you leave your dermatologist’s office?
See PSORIASIS IMPACTS MATTER for the 5-step guide.
Why are these selections important to you? Share these thoughts with your doctor.
Download Psoriasis Impacts Matter today to help you navigate discussions with your doctor. For your convenience, it’s now available in multiple languages as listed below. Please click one of the flags below to download the brochure in your preferred language.
English
French
Spanish
Italian
German
Swedish
Dutch
Slovenian
References: 1. Strober BE, van der Walt JM, Armstrong AW, et al. Clinical goals and barriers to effective psoriasis care. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2019;9(1):5-18. 2. Larsen MH, Strumse YAS, Borge CR, Osborne R, Andersen MH, Wahl AK. Health literacy: a new piece of the puzzle in psoriasis care? A cross-sectional study. Br J Dermatol. 2019;180(6):1506-1516. 3. Bhosle MJ, Kulkarni A, Feldman SR, Balkrishnan R. Quality of life in patients with psoriasis. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2006;4:35. 4. National Psoriasis Foundation. Patient navigation center: psoriasis. October 2017. https://www.psoriasis.org/sites/default/files
/t2t_infographic.pdf. Accessed July 17, 2021. 5. National Psoriasis Foundation. T2T Infographic. https://www.psoriasis.org/sites/default/files
/t2t_infographic.pdf. Accessed July 17, 2021. 6. Lebwohl MG, Bachelez H, Barker J, et al. Patient perspectives in the management of psoriasis: results from the population-based Multinational Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis survey. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;70(5):871-881.e1-30. 7. Takeshita J, Grewal S, Langan SM, et al. Psoriasis and comorbid diseases: epidemiology. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2017;76(3):377-390. 8. World Health Organization. Global report on psoriasis. 2016. 9. Mustonen A, Mattila K, Leino M, Tuominen R. How much of the productivity losses among psoriasis patients are due to psoriasis. BMC Health Serv Res. 2015;15:87. 10. Kavanaugh A, et al. Rheumatol Ther 2016;3:91–102. 11. Aletaha D, et al. The many faces of psoriatic arthritis – a challenge to treatment to target? Reumatologia. 2016; 54(1): 1–2. 12. Van de Kerkhof P, et al. Patient Perceptions of Psoriatic Disease in Five European Countries: Results From the European Subgroup of the Understanding Psoriatic Disease Leveraging Insights for Treatment (UPLIFT) Survey. IFPA-WPPAC 2021 13. Lebwohl M, et al. Evolution of Patient Perceptions of Psoriatic Disease: Results From the Understanding Psoriatic Disease Leveraging Insights for Treatment (UPLIFT) Survey. Presented at: Winter Clinical Dermatology Conference. January 2021.