Health-Related Quality of Life in Psoriasis: Literature Review

Abstract

The assessment of quality of life (QoL) in patients with psoriasis plays a crucial role in understanding the impact of the disease and evaluating treatment outcomes. We provide an overview of the key measures used to assess QoL in psoriasis patients, including both generic and psoriasis-specific instruments. The limitations and strengths of instruments such as the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Skindex, and Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) are discussed, highlighting their psychometric properties and areas for improvement. Furthermore, this review examines the potential of disease-specific QoL measures in providing greater sensitivity to disease-related burden and change compared to generic instruments. However, most of the available psoriasis-specific patient-reported outcome measures need further validation. We aim to provide valuable insights into the importance of using validated QoL measures in clinical practice and research, ultimately contributing to a more comprehensive assessment of the impact of psoriasis on patients' lives and enhancing the evaluation of treatment interventions.

Keywords: outcome measure; psoriasis; quality of life; questionnaire.

Figure 1

These two women affected by chronic plaque psoriasis (A,B, respectively) have different extents of body surface area (BSA) affected by skin lesions (A, 18 and B, 4). However, the impact of psoriasis on quality of life is comparable (DLQI 21) because of different anatomical localization involving the hands in patient (B).