Freedom from disease in psoriasis

Psoriasis affects millions of people worldwide and its symptoms reach far beyond the skin.[1] The disease can have a profound impact on daily life, for instance, through its impact on mental health, as well as on work and relationships.[2]

Learn more about psoriasis

Why do we need to define freedom from disease in psoriasis?

‘Freedom from disease’ in psoriasis is the idea of what it means for a person living with psoriasis to feel like themselves again.[3] One might imagine that this could be achieved through simply treating the symptoms, but there are other important factors; defining what freedom from disease in psoriasis means helps us identify these.

Collapse Why do we need to ensure patients are involved in every step of defining what freedom from disease in psoriasis is? Like many other conditions, people living with psoriasis and the doctors and nurses involved in their care can have different ideas about what successful treatment looks like. A doctor might look and see a reduction in dry and flaky skin, but a patient may still feel a persistent itch. The patient voice is therefore key to any definition about freedom from psoriasis.

What does freedom from disease look like in psoriasis?

In a recent study, a large group of patients, doctors and nurses helped build a consensus about what freedom from disease looks like in psoriasis.[3] They identified five core domains that need to be addressed for freedom from disease to be achieved:

Quality of life and well-being
Treatment
Healthcare team support
Psychosocial elements
Management of clinical symptoms

These results will help foster better communication between doctors, nurses and their patients and lead to better understanding and improvements in the care of psoriasis.

Why is this important to people with psoriasis?

Needs

A better understanding of the overall needs of people with psoriasis can ensure that individual needs are better met.[2],[4]

Voice

Listening to and amplifying the voices of people with psoriasis will further improve standards of care.[4],[5]

Treatment

Changing the treatment paradigm will enable all people with psoriasis to benefit from the full potential of new therapies.[2],[4]

Clinical tools

New ways of assessing severity and measuring clinical response will facilitate new standards in freedom from disease.[5]

Learn more about freedom from disease in psoriasis

Learn more about the consensus statement published in JEADV

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Patient organisations associated with this initiative

Asociația Pacienților cu Afecțiuni Autoimune (APAA), Romania

Psoriasispatiënten Nederland (PN), Netherlands

APIAFCO associazione psoriasici italiani amici della Fondazione Corazza, Italy

Deutscher Psoriasis Bund (DPB), Germany

References
[1] Janssen. Immunology – Psoriasis. Available at: https://www.janssen.com/emea/our-focus/immunology/psoriasis. Accessed January 2023.
[2] Michalek IM and Loring B. World Health Organization: Global report on psoriasis. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565189. Accessed January 2023.
[3] van Ee I, et al. Freedom from disease in psoriasis: a Delphi consensus definition by patients, nurses and physicians. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2022:36(3):403–412.
[4] Grine L, et al. A Belgian consensus on the definition of a treat-to-target outcome set in psoriasis management. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2020:34(4):676–684.
[5] Strober BE, et al. Clinical Goals and Barriers to Effective Psoriasis Care. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2019:9(1):5–18.

CP-459038
September 2024

Freedom from disease in psoriasis

Why do we need to define freedom from disease in psoriasis?