Related resources
Full-text held externally
- PMID: 20477920
- UKPMCID: 20477920
- DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2010.03705.x
Search for item elsewhere
University researcher(s)
Academic department(s)
Psoriasis: is the impairment to a patient's life cumulative?
Kimball, A B; Gieler, U; Linder, D; Sampogna, F; Warren, R B; Augustin, M
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV. 2010;24(9):989-1004.
Access to files
Full-text and supplementary files are not available from Manchester eScholar. Full-text is available externally using the following links:
Full-text held externally
- PMID: 20477920
- UKPMCID: 20477920
- DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2010.03705.x
Abstract
Psoriasis is associated with significant physical and psychological burden affecting all facets of a patient's life--relationships, social activities, work and emotional wellbeing. The cumulative effect of this disability may be self-perpetuating social disconnection and failure to achieve a 'full life potential' in some patients. Health-related quality of life studies have quantified the burden of psoriasis providing predominantly cross-sectional data and point-in-time images of patients' lives rather than assessing the possible cumulative disability over a patient's lifetime. However, social and economic outcomes indicate there are likely negative impacts that accumulate over time. To capture the cumulative effect of psoriasis and its associated co-morbidities and stigma over a patient's life course, we propose the concept of 'Cumulative Life Course Impairment' (CLCI). CLCI results from an interaction between (A) the burden of stigmatization, and physical and psychological co-morbidities and (B) coping strategies and external factors. Several key aspects of the CLCI concept are supported by data similar to that used in health-related quality of life assessments. Future research should focus on (i) establishing key components of CLCI and determining the mechanisms of impairment through longitudinal or retrospective case-control studies, and (ii) assessing factors that put patients at increased risk of developing CLCI. In the future, this concept may lead to a better understanding of the overall impact of psoriasis, help identify more vulnerable patients, and facilitate more appropriate treatment decisions or earlier referrals. To our knowledge, this is a first attempt to apply and develop concepts from 'Life Course Epidemiology' to psoriasis research.