Psoriasis is a disease with a high prevalence – in Spain, the incidence is 2.3 percent, that is, more than one million cases – which, in addition, has many comorbidities. And it is that the implications of psoriasis are very varied: they range from the affectation of the skin, to rheumatological complications or the emotional and psychological impact .
During the Autonomous Forums on Psoriasis , organized by Fundamed and with the collaboration of Janssen, different experts from all the autonomous communities address the management and treatment of this disease, which has a great impact on the quality of life of patients.
Involvement of professionals
All experts agree that the approach to this pathology must be multidisciplinary , since the role played by each of the professionals who care for patients with psoriasis is crucial.
Although many cases can be “resolved” in Primary Care – the first specialist the patient has to go to – with local treatment, other patients are referred to the dermatologist ‘s office, so that he or she can make an assessment.
However, one of the comorbidities that patients with psoriasis may present is joint involvement. In fact, up to 30 percent of skin psoriasis patients may develop psoriatic arthritis . Therefore, it is essential that dermatologists and rheumatologists are closely coordinated.
In this sense, the group of physiotherapists is another of the health agents involved in the treatment of patients with psoriasis. In general, they participate in the care of rheumatic patients, in the treatment of inflammatory processes or making recommendations on healthy habits.
In the same way, there are other groups involved: Primary Care nursing, “gateway to the system”, since, on many occasions, these professionals are the ones who contact the specialists; or pharmacists, whose role is essential when it comes to dispensing drugs and monitoring the patient to check if he complies with the administration schedule properly.
But psoriasis not only needs to be treated from a healthcare point of view, but also from an emotional point of view. Therefore, after the diagnosis, the patient should go through a psychologist to help him accept his illness .
Humanized attention
Likewise, quality care goes through humanized care . Most regional governments have humanization plans in place, the shared goal of which is to ensure that patients receive quality health care.
This is precisely what the Effective Affective Model is looking for, which is put into practice in the book Understanding Psoriasis from the Effective Affective Model . It is based on caring for and curing the patient as a person, based on scientific evidence, and incorporating the dimension of the patient’s dignity and humanity. On these lines, care based on trust and empathy is established that contributes to your well-being and to obtaining the best possible health results.
In this context, the role of patient associations, such as Acción Psoriasis, is very important . They push to promote research through awareness and include the affective part within the response to the patient.
Advances in treatment
Advances in research and innovation have been a lifesaver for psoriasis patients. If 20 years ago this disease was considered only a skin problem, today its management has radically changed thanks to research into inflammatory diseases.
The progress made in recent years has led to the development of effective and safe biological drugs directed against a series of specific protein targets related to psoriasis, allowing the disease to be controlled.
And it is that, despite the fact that there is no curative treatment, there is a large therapeutic arsenal that improves the quality of life of the patient and avoids structural damage . Now, professionals have very diverse therapeutic strategies and allow them to whiten the skin of patients. But the most important thing is that patients have access to these highly effective treatments.
