Treatment patterns and perceptions of treatment attributes, satisfaction and effectiveness among patients with psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune condition that affects over 7 million Americans, approximately 1-3 percent of the population. Although there are a number of treatment options currently available, little is known about the treatment patterns of patients. Using data from 1,006 psoriasis sufferers, the aim of the present study was to analyze patients' treatment timeline, as well as their perceptions about these treatments. Most respondents were white, female and had health insurance. The results suggested that over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription topicals were the most common initial treatments, but systemic orals and biologics were the most common treatments for patients who required a third-line or fourth-line treatment (and for patients with greater severity). Treatment dissatisfaction was relatively high, with very few positive attributes associated with the current treatment options. Overall, this study suggests that treatment options vary (at a statistically significant level) as a function of severity, and many patients, despite the choices in the number and quality of treatment options, are generally dissatisfied.