Validation of the Self-Reported Psoriasis Treatment Convenience Scale (PTCS)

Abstract

Introduction: Adherence to topical treatments for psoriasis is reported to be poor. One key contributing factor is the inconvenience associated with formulations that may be greasy, time consuming to apply, and slow to absorb. There is a paucity of patient-reported outcome measures that evaluate psoriasis patients' perceptions of treatment convenience. The Psoriasis Treatment Convenience Scale (PTCS) was therefore developed and validated. Methods: Following a literature review of issues relating to convenience of topical treatments, important items were identified and a draft version of the PTCS was developed and underwent content validity testing (n = 20). The revised scale was included in a clinical trial of topical therapy (n = 794; NCT03308799), and psychometric testing was performed. Results: The final questionnaire included five core items and one overall satisfaction question. In psychometric testing, the scale demonstrated stability across trial population, and good validity, reliability, and sensitivity. Conclusion:The PTCS is a new, reliable, sensitive, validated tool for the assessment of patient-reported treatment convenience. Use of the PTCS will facilitate evaluation of convenience as part of the clinical development of topical therapies, and thus may help to improve patient adherence and, therefore, treatment outcomes.

Sensory properties analysis of a calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate cream vehicle formulated with an innovative PAD Technology for the treatment of plaque psoriasis on the skin and scalp

“…The PTCS is a novel and validated patient-reported outcome scale consisting of six disease-specific, self-reported questions rated on a 1–10 scale, and has been shown to be a reliable, sensitive and valid scale to evaluate the preference of topical treatment for psoriasis. 19 The mean PTCS at week 8 for CAL/BDP PAD-cream was statistically significantly higher than CAL/BDP gel/TS (40.4 versus 37.0; p <0.0001). Individual results of the PTCS questions revealed that the greater preference for CAL/BDP PAD-cream was mainly due to the gel/TS being a greasier formulation.…”

Randomized Phase 3 trial demonstrating high efficacy, favourable safety and convenience of a novel calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate cream for the treatment of psoriasis

“…Convenience and aesthetic acceptability are particularly relevant to topical application, as greasiness, altered appearance and disrupted daily routines will negatively impact adherence to therapy and consequently real‐world efficacy 29 . Therefore, convenience of the treatment modality is an important factor in optimising adherence to therapy 22 . A recent survey showed that participants' most preferred vehicle was a water‐based cream and that the formulation attributes rated most important were application feel, non‐staining, quick absorption and non‐sticky texture 30 .…”

“…29 Therefore, convenience of the treatment modality is an important factor in optimising adherence to therapy. 22 A recent survey showed that participants' most preferred vehicle was a water-based cream and that the formulation attributes rated most important were application feel, non-staining, quick absorption and non-sticky texture. 30 The greater convenience scores of the PAD-cream formulation compared to gel was mainly driven by questions concerning greasiness.…”

“…The primary efficacy endpoint was the percentage change in mPASI on the body (trunk and/or limbs) from baseline to Week 8. Secondary and other efficacy endpoints included: PGA success on the body (trunk and/or limbs) at Week 4 and Week 8, defined as a minimum two-point decrease to clear or almost clear disease from baseline; patient assessment of treatment convenience at Week 4 and Week 8 using the Psoriasis Treatment Convenience Scale (PTCS; consisting of six questions rated on a numerical scale from 1 to 10, and the PTCS total score being the sum of questions 1-5 with a maximum of 50 reflecting the highest satisfaction with the treatment 22 ); number of patients with at least 75% reduction in mPASI from baseline (mPASI75) on the body (trunk and/ or limbs) at Week 4 and Week 8; PGA success on the scalp at Week 4 and Week 8, defined as a minimum two-point decrease from Baseline; Percentage change in mPASI on the body (trunk and/or limbs) at Week 4, and change from baseline in Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) at Week 4 and Week 8. Post hoc, the proportion of patients with an mPASI ≤5 and the proportion of patients with an mPASI ≤2 was analysed.…”

Polyaphron Dispersion Technology, A Novel Topical Formulation and Delivery System Combining Drug Penetration, Local Tolerability and Convenience of Application

“…Generally, there is a need for validated tools to evaluate patients’ acceptance of topical therapy vehicles [ 41 ]. A psoriasis treatment convenience scale (PTCS) has been validated, consisting of five questions addressing ease of application, greasiness, moisturization and impact on the daily routine plus an overarching question regarding the patient’s overall satisfaction with the treatment [ 42 ]. Other examples of similar questionnaires are the Vehicle Preference Measure [ 43 ], the Topical Therapy Adherence Questionnaire (TTAQ) [ 44 ] and the Topical Product Usability Questionnaire (TPUQ) [ 45 ].…”