People with health issues go to hospitals and doctors expecting to get proper care to manage their health problems. Many psoriasis patients have this same reasonable expectation but are finding that doctors have not been able to be helpful to them.
A new study discussed here by Reuters shows that half of people with psoriasis find that their doctors are not providing them with adequate treatment. Statistics show that psoriasis affects about seven million people in the United States. It is characterized as scaly itchy skin all over a person’s body.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about twenty percent of people with psoriasis develop a more advanced form of the disease called psoriatic arthritis from lack of proper care while having normal psoriasis. Psoriatic arthritis is more difficult to treat. One doctor from the University of California told Reuters, “Compared to other chronic conditions, patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis may be at particularly increased risk of not receiving adequate treatment.”
Researchers say that many people with psoriasis are at a risk of more serious conditions if not treated properly. According to results published in JAMA Dermatology about 45% of psoriasis patients surveyed said that they were dissatisfied with the treatment they are receiving. Out of the people who actually were taking intravenous drugs many of them said they had to discontinue taking them due to serious side effects or because the medication was not working.
A psoriasis expert told Reuters that inadequate treatment for people with severe psoriasis can lead to more serious physical and psychosocial problems. She went on to say, “Severe psoriasis is associated with increased risk of heart attack, stroke, depression, suicide and cardiovascular deaths. Many patients are ashamed of this skin disease and do not wish to go to a barber, a public swimming pool or be involved in intimate relationships.” The proper treatment plan needed varies from patient to patient based on the severity of their condition.
