Background Psoriasis imposes a substantial burden on patients’ social, emotional, physical, and family life. Although psoriasis has no complete cure, various treatments are available to control its symptoms and improve a patients’ quality of life. Objective We aimed to compare the effectiveness of biologic versus non-biologic treatments on health-related quality of life among patients with psoriasis in Malaysia. Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study evaluated data of adult patients diagnosed with psoriasis during 2007–18 from the Malaysian Psoriasis Registry. Baseline demographics, disease, and treatment characteristics were described. For a subset of patients treated with biologics and non-biologics who had baseline and 6-month follow-up data available, changes in the mean Dermatology Life Quality Index scores and the proportion of patients with a clinically relevant improvement (≥ 4 points) post-treatment were assessed. Results Overall, 15,238 adult patients with psoriasis from the Malaysian Psoriasis Registry were included in the analysis. Patients receiving biologics showed a statistically significant reduction in the mean Dermatology Life Quality Index scores after 6 months compared with those receiving non-biologic treatment (− 5.7 vs − 0.8%; p < 0.001). The proportion of patients who achieved a ≥ 4-point improvement in Dermatology Life Quality Index scores was approximately two times greater in the biologic-treated group versus the non-biologic-treated group (56.4 vs 27.7%). Conclusions Biologic treatment showed a greater reduction in the Dermatology Life Quality Index scores of patients with psoriasis versus non-biologic treatment. These results highlight the importance of early treatment with more efficacious treatment options, such as biologic therapies, to improve the overall health-related quality of life of patients with psoriasis.
Objective The aim of this study was to assess pharmacists’ knowledge about the safe use of topical corticosteroids (TCS) in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) and to determine whether their knowledge and beliefs can be modified after reading the designed module on TCS use in AD. Methods A multicentre cross-sectional survey study was conducted among pharmacists working in the healthcare facilities of Malaysia between February 2018 and April 2019. A total of 310 pharmacists were participated and requested to complete the questionnaire before (pre-test) and 1 week after reading the designed TCS module (post-test). Results Pharmacist’s post-module score [median = 8 (interquartile range {IQR} 5–11)] was significantly higher than their pre-module score [median = 5 (IQR1–10; P < 0.001)]. After reading the TCS module, there was a significant increase in correct responses observed to the dispensing activities, application recommendations and side effects associated with the inappropriate use of TCS (P < 0.001). Pharmacists were found highly confident in the use of TCS after reading the designed module with a mean score of 8.0 (95% confidence interval 7.87–8.13) out of 10 measured on the Likert scale. Conclusion TCS module has been proven effective in enhancing pharmacists’ knowledge about the safe use of TCS in the treatment of AD.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.