Engaging psoriasis patients in adherence and outcomes to topical treatments: A summary from the Symposium 'Tailoring topical psoriasis treatments to patients' needs and expectations' of the 30^th EADV Congress 2021

This article is based on a presentation given by authors at the Satellite Symposium titled 'Tailoring topical psoriasis treatments to patients' needs and expectations' held during the 30(th) European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress. During this session, the factors affecting adherence and outcomes to topical treatments were presented, with a particular focus on the patients' point of view. Psoriasis is not just a skin condition. Psoriasis can cause negative psychosocial effects, such as depression and anxiety. The risk of suicidality in patients with psoriasis is higher than in the background population. Psychosocial comorbidities can be prevented by patient involvement in psoriasis management and need to be treated in a multidisciplinary manner. Adherence may be the largest barrier to treatment success with topical therapies. Improvement in several areas of disease management may lead to benefits in treatment adherence and hence clinical benefit. There are several treatment-related factors for non-adherence, such as patient dissatisfaction, side effects, treatment regimen or the drug vehicle. Delivering comprehensive treatment information to the patient will help develop realistic objectives and expectations. Patients need to be involved in the selection of treatment strategies, as psoriasis patients have various preferences for their use of topical treatments. A shared decision-making with the patient has been shown to improve medication adherence and treatment success. Prescribing therapy in line with a patient preference for treatment vehicle and improving the communication between healthcare professionals and patients may be key factors to maximize adherence. The calcipotriol (CAL) and betamethasone dipropionate (BDP) cream, a novel formulation of the CAL/BDP fixed-dose combination based on Poly-Aphron Dispersion (PAD) Technology, is a topical treatment of mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis, including scalp psoriasis, that has high cosmetic acceptance and overall treatment satisfaction.