Doctors' perceptions of psoriasis therapies vary

(HealthDay)—Doctors who treat patients with psoriasis show wide variation in their beliefs about the safety and effectiveness of psoriasis treatments, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Katrina Abuabara, M.D., from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, and colleagues surveyed 246 members of the National Psoriasis Foundation and 141 members of the American Academy of Dermatology about the safety and effectiveness of psoriasis treatments.

The researchers found that infliximab, ustekinumab, cyclosporine, and adalimumab were regarded as being most likely to clear skin in three months (67 to 75 percent). Etanercept, adalimumab, ultraviolet B, and ustekinumab were regarded as being the least likely to produce side effects requiring discontinuation of treatment (9 to 11 percent). In both cases, up to 49 percent "didn't know" the effectiveness or the likelihood of side effects, and the coefficients of variation were higher for the perceived likelihood of side effects. There were few significant correlations between perceptions and respondent characteristics, and perceptions could not be consistently predicted by treatment preference.

"Psoriasis providers demonstrate wide variation in their perception of the effectiveness and especially safety of systemic treatments," Abuabara and colleagues conclude.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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