European patient perspectives on the impact of psoriasis: the EUROPSO patient membership survey.

BACKGROUND: EUROPSO (European Federation of Psoriasis Patient Associations) undertook a Europe-wide survey examining quality of life and patients' perspectives on treatment and their disease. OBJECTIVES: To explore patients' perspectives of psoriasis on their lifestyle and well-being and to gain insight into the effectiveness of and satisfaction with currently available therapies for psoriasis. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires (n = 50,500) were mailed to members of psoriasis patient associations in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. RESULTS: Responses were received from 18,386 patients (36%), of whom 17,990 had psoriasis. Mean age at onset of psoriasis was 30.5 years, 59% of respondents had self-reported moderate to severe psoriasis (3% or greater body surface area involvement) and 30% had been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. The mean Psoriasis Disability Index score was 12.2 (25% of the maximum score), increasing to 21 (44%) in patients with more than 10% body surface area involvement. The greatest impact was on activities of daily living, especially affecting clothing choice, bathing routine and sporting activities. Overall, 77% replied that psoriasis was a problem or a significant problem. While patients were satisfied with the information and care from their dermatologist (40% highly satisfied), available treatment options were less satisfactory, with over 70% reporting only low to moderate satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest survey of people with psoriasis in Europe and shows that psoriasis has a profound impact on quality of life