The promise and challenge of new biological treatments for psoriasis: how do they impact quality of life?
Author(s): Rapp SR, Feldman SR Affiliation(s): Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. srapp@wfubmc.edu Publication date & source: 2004, Dermatol Ther., 17(5):376-82. Publication type: Review Psoriasis disrupts a patient’s work, play, and relationships and impacts how patients view themselves. These effects are measured through the concept of quality of life. The most central feature of the concept of HRQL (health-related quality of life) is that it represents the patient’s perspective, helping understand the full impact of the illness on patients’ lives. Psoriasis causes a high level of physical impairment, social impairment, emotional distress, occupational interference, and disruptions in leisure activities. HRQL can be measured with a variety of instruments that are acceptable to patients and have demonstrated adequate psychometric properties (e.g., reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change).
