Quality of life in patients with anogenital warts.

Background: Anogenital warts (GW) are among the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Few studies have investigated the quality of life (QoL) of GW patients.

Objective: We undertook an exhaustive description of the health status of GW patients and assessed disease impact on QoL.

Health status, coping strategies, and alexithymia in subjects with androgenetic alopecia: a questionnaire study.

Background: Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is viewed as a relatively mild dermatologic condition; however, affected individuals feel that alopecia is a serious condition with major consequences in their life.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the health status, the risk of anxiety/depression, the coping strategies, and alexithymia in subjects with AGA.

Methods: Consecutive subjects referred to the outpatients department of the Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IDI IRCCS) dermatologic hospital with a diagnosis of AGA were enrolled.

Information needs of patients with melanoma: a nursing challenge.

Evidence continues to suggest that patients with cancer require more information about their disease and its consequences. To evaluate the information needs of patients with advanced melanoma compared to patients with other malignancies, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 221 unselected patients from the oncology department of a dermatologic hospital In Italy. Patients completed the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System and the Need Evaluation Questionnaire, two standardized tools for symptoms and psychosocial needs assessment.

Limited role of marital status in the impact of dermatological diseases on quality of life.

Health status, health services utilization and mortality differ by marital status for both sexes in most conditions, but little is known about dermatological diseases. We evaluated whether marital status is associated with the impact that dermatological diseases have on quality of life (QoL). Data from two surveys on dermatological outpatients were pooled.

Field performance of the Skindex-17 quality of life questionnaire: a comparison with the Skindex-29 in a large sample of dermatological outpatients.

The utilization of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaires in routine clinical practice is hampered by several factors, including their length and thus the time needed to complete and score them. For this reason, growing efforts are devoted both to create short questionnaires and to shorten existing ones. The Skindex-17 is a dermatological HRQoL instrument that was derived from the Skindex-29 using Rasch analysis.

Psychological status of patients with alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata is not painful or life-threatening, but its aesthetic repercussions can lead to profound changes in patients' psychological status and relationships. The psycho-logical status and personality traits of 73 patients and 73 controls were evaluated with the Minnesota Multi-phasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2). Analysis of the MMPI-2 profile showed that scores for some scales (i.

Psychiatric morbidity and emotional exhaustion among hospital physicians and nurses: association with perceived job-related factors.

The objective of this study was to evaluate psychiatric morbidity and emotional exhaustion among physicians and nurses of a general hospital in central Italy, examining the association with perceived job-related factors. Anonymous questionnaires were distributed to all 323 hospital physicians and 609 nurses of a nonprofit health organization in Rome, Italy. Standardized instruments were used to evaluate psychiatric morbidity (General Health Questionnaire), burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), and perceived job-related factors.

Health related quality of life in common variable immunodeficiency.

Purpose: To quantify the health related quality of life in primary immunodeficiency patients.

Materials And Methods: We used generic health status and general psychological health questionnaires to determine the range of issues that needed to be considered in examining the burden of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).

Results: The health status of patients with CVID was lower than that observed in normal subjects.

Self-reported psoriasis severity and quality of life assessment at Comano spa.

The relationship between quality of life (QoL) and skin lesion improvement due to psoriasis treatment has been recently underlined. Our objective was to study the self-reported disease severity reduction and QoL during spa treatments and identify predictors of psoriasis improvement. Patients were assessed before and after spa treatment with a disease-specific QoL questionnaire (Skindex-17) and self-administered psoriasis area and severity index (SAPASI).

Comparison of patients' and providers' severity evaluation of oral mucosal conditions.

Background: In dental diseases, significant discrepancies were observed in the oral health-related quality of life evaluation between patients and providers. Few studies have been performed specifically on the impact of oral mucosal diseases on patients' health.

Objective: We sought to compare the evaluation of the severity of oral mucosal conditions in providers and patients.

[Job satisfaction and psychological wellbeing in bio-medical researchers].

Introduction: The aim of the study was to assess job satisfaction and risk of depression/anxiety in researchers of a Research Institute in Rome.

Methods: The personnel was invited to participate in a survey filling in the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ.12) for the screening of depression/anxiety disorders and the evaluation of psychological stress, and a validated satisfaction questionnaire.

Effectiveness of an empowerment-based intervention for psoriasis among patients attending a medical spa.

There is increasing interest in the management of chronic diseases through patient self-efficacy procedures. Very few studies are available assessing the efficacy of empowerment-based educational interventions for psoriasis patients. To evaluate an educational programme for increasing empowerment, in a spa setting (Comano, Italy).

Family burden in epidermolysis bullosa is high independent of disease type/subtype.

Epidermolysis bullosa is a rare, inherited group of disorders characterized by blistering of the skin following friction or mechanical trauma. The aim of this study was to assess the family burden of epidermolysis bullosa in children aged 0-7 years. A postal survey was conducted.

Effect of written emotional disclosure interventions in persons with psoriasis undergoing narrow band ultraviolet B phototherapy.

The beneficial health effects of emotional writing disclosure (ED) on several chronic diseases have been reported. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of two ED techniques on psoriatic patients treated with ultraviolet B (UVB) therapy. Forty patients were randomly assigned to two different ED treatments (according to Pennebaker [PW], writing about stressful events, to King [KW], writing about major life goals), or to a control group (CG).

Measuring empowerment in patients with psoriasis: the Psoriasis Empowerment Enquiry in the Routine Practice (PEER) questionnaire.

While empowerment is an outcome pursued by advocacy groups and health care providers, no data are yet available about empowerment in patients with psoriasis in the literature. Our aim was to develop a tool for measuring levels of empowerment in psoriatic patients, and to assess its validity and reliability. A cross-sectional study among outpatients with psoriasis was carried out.

Quality of life of psoriasis patients before and after balneo -- or balneophototherapy.

Purpose: An observational prospective study was conducted to study the effects of hypotonic spa-water baths and narrowband ultraviolet B therapy given alone or in combination for treatment of moderate-severe psoriasis.

Materials And Methods: TWO TREATMENTS WERE ANALYSED: 2 weeks of balneotherapy followed by ultraviolet-B (UVB) 311-nm phototherapy (BPT) or 2 weeks of daily bath treatments of Comano water alone (BT). One hundred and eleven adult patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis were enrolled.

Quality-of-life assessment in patients with pemphigus using a minimum set of evaluation tools.

Background: Pemphigus is a rare but severe autoimmune disease caused by autoantibodies directed against desmosomes, and clinically characterized by bullae and painful erosions of the skin and mucous membranes. The two major subtypes, vulgaris and foliaceus, are distinguished by the depth of the cleavage plane in the epidermis. Very few studies have investigated the quality of life (QoL) of patients with pemphigus, all reporting a strong impact on physical and emotional status.

Health-related quality of life and nail disorders.

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measurements in clinical practice ensure that treatment and evaluations focus on the patient rather than the disease. To verify whether these measurements are also relevant in a minor dermatological disease and whether a generic routine assessment is sufficient to capture different aspects of quality of life, we studied patients affected by nail disorders. The Skindex-29, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire and the 36-item Short Form of the Medical Outcomes Study questionnaires were used.

Insufficient knowledge among psoriasis patients can represent a barrier to participation in decision-making.

Patient participation in treatment decisions can have positive effects on patient satisfaction, compliance and health outcomes. The objectives of this study were to examine attitudes of psoriasis patients regarding participation in treatment decisions and to evaluate the effect of a decision-aid for discussing treatment options. A "quasi experiment" was conducted in a large dermatological hospital in Italy: a questionnaire evaluating the decision-making process and treatment knowledge was self-completed by 231 consecutive psoriasis patients after routine clinical practice and by a second sample of 171 patients exposed to a decision-board.

Health related quality of life assessment in the routine clinical practice of a dermatology unit.

A descriptive study in a Dermatological Research Institution in Rome, Italy, was conducted to test the feasibility and acceptability of health related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment in the daily routine. Quality of life, and psychosocial distress evaluations were obtained for each patient. Patients were invited to complete the Skindex-29, GHQ-12, and SF-36.

[Job satisfaction, depressive and anxiety disorders among hospital personnel at IDI Sanità, Rome].

Job satisfaction and psychological well-being of healthcare personnel and staff represent relevant issues for continuous quality improvement in health care organisations. The aim of this study was to evaluate job satisfaction, as well as the frequency of psychiatric minor disorders, among the personnel working at IDI Sanità, Rome (IDI-IRCCS and S. Carlo Hospital).