MD, PhD
Mathias Tiedemann Svendsen
Department of Dermatology, Odense University Hospital
| Project management | ||
| Project status | Active | |
| Data collection dates | ||
| Start | 19.06.2020 | |
| End | 29.10.2021 | |
Improvement of Psoriasis Patients' Adherence to Topical Drugs
Short summary
Topical drugs are recommended as first-line treatment for mild to moderate psoriasis, but low adherence is a barrier for treatment success. There is a need for supporting psoriasis patients in order to improve their long-term use of topical drugs. The project aims to test whether a patient-supporting intervention delivered by specialist-trained dermatology nurses can reduce severity of psoriasis and improve the use of topical drugs.
Rationale
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting 2-4% of the adult Western population. It is associated with many comorbidities, negatively affects quality of life and is a socio-economic burden for patients and society. Topical drugs are the recommended first-line treatment for mild-to-moderate psoriasis, but patients' adherence to treatment is low, which is a barrier for treatment success. Nevertheless, since improved adherence to topical drugs is associated with improved efficacy, there is a need for patient-supporting interventions that improve psoriasis patients' adherence to topical drugs. To improve the effect of topical therapy in psoriasis patients, there is a need for studying how to optimize the use of the available healthcare professionelas. Since dermatologists are a limited resource, the use of other healthcare professionals, e.g., dermatology nurses, who within a shorter time-period can be trained to support psoriasis patients in their use of topical drugs, may be a practical solution that is cost-effective and has a modest value for improved health outcome. Improved support from dermatology nurses, with specialist-training in supporting psoriasis patients, could include 1) individualizing treatment plans, 2) providing easy access to dermatology consultation in case of flare-up, 3) giving patients access to digital contact, so they avoid going to the outpatient clinic, and 4) motivating patients to use the medication. The study investigates if use of topical corticosteroids and/or calcipotriol with a patient-supporting intervention delivered by specialist-trained dermatology nurses supporting psoriasis patients' use of topical drugs significantly 1) reduces the severity of psoriasis, 2) improves quality of life, 3) improves long-term adherence to prescribed topical drugs, and 4) is cost-effective compared to use of topical corticosteroids and/or calcipotriol with standard patient support.
Description of the cohort
Patients with mild-to-severe psoriasis who are 18-85 years of age and have been prescribed topical treatment.
Data and biological material
Questionnaires, clinical assessments and register data.
Collaborating researchers and departments
Department of Dermatology (Center for Dermatology Research), Wake Forest School of Medicine
- Professor Steven Feldman, PhD
Odense Patient Explorative data Network (OPEN), Odense University Hospital
- Associate Professor, Sören Möller, PhD
Danish Centre for Health Economics (DaCHE), University of Southern Denmark
- Project manager Line Planck Kongstad, PhD
Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark
- Professor Klaus Ejner Andersen, DMSc
Publications associated with the project