Which Health-Related Quality of Life Items Most Affect Acne Patients?

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment in patients with acne is recommended by several national guidelines. There are several acne-specific HRQoL instruments.

Objectives: Participants of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Task Forces (TFs) on QoL and Patient Oriented Outcomes (PO) and Acne, Rosacea, and Hidradenitis Suppurativa (ARHS) agreed to scrutinize aspects of existing acne-specific HRQoL instruments for their relevance in international study.

The association between acne care provision and quality of life: A cross-sectional survey.

Background And Aims: It has been suggested that professional acne care can be effective not only in reducing clinical signs but also in improving quality of life (QOL). This study aims to reach a better understanding of the association between QOL and professional acne care. The study also investigates other factors that might influence QOL such as age, gender, and acne severity.

[Terbinafine resistance explains treatment failure in a patient with tinea corporis].

Background: Tinea corporis is a superficial fungal infection of the limbs, chest or back caused by dermatophytes. Local antifungal treatment is often sufficient to treat tinea corporis. Systemic treatment may be needed in more severe cases, in immunocompromised patients or when treatment failure is documented.

Reallocations in acne healthcare: exploring the possible roles and added value of non-physicians by a mixed-methods study design.

Background: A highly promoted opportunity for optimizing healthcare services is to expand the role of non-physician care providers by care reallocation. Reallocating care from physicians to non-physicians can play an important role in solving systemic healthcare problems such as care delays, hospital overcrowding, long waiting lists, high work pressure and expanding healthcare costs. Dermatological healthcare services, such as the acne care provision, are well suited for exploring the opportunities for care reallocation as many different types of care professionals are involved in the care process.

Exploring patient journeys through acne healthcare: a patient perspective.

Background: Despite the large availability of caregivers, there are no standardized care pathways for patients with acne. This increases the risk of ineffective care and unnecessary medicalizing. To better understand how to provide effective, efficient, and patient-satisfying care, it is necessary to gain insights into the patient journey through acne healthcare services.

Rosacea and Use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Mask for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: Report of Five Cases.

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease of unknown etiology. We noticed a series of patients who were diagnosed with rosacea as well as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), for which they used a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask. This case series aims to give insight in the possible relationship between rosacea and the use of a CPAP mask for OSAS.

Value of GPSkin for the measurement of skin barrier impairment and for monitoring of rosacea treatment in daily practice.

Background: Stratum corneum hydration (SCH) and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) provide useful information about skin barrier function. This study aimed to determine the value of GPSkin Pro, a new handheld device determining both SCH and TEWL, to measure skin barrier impairment and to monitor barrier function in rosacea in daily practice.

Materials And Methods: Two pilots were performed.

Evaluation of a simple image-based tool to quantify facial erythema in rosacea during treatment.

Background: Facial erythema is a common symptom in rosacea. To overcome subjectivity in scoring erythema severity, objective redness quantification is desirable. This study evaluated an image-based erythema quantification tool to monitor facial erythema in rosacea patients during treatment and compared these values to clinical scores.

Use of beta-blockers for rosacea-associated facial erythema and flushing: A systematic review and update on proposed mode of action.

Background: Flushing and erythema are frequent skin symptoms in rosacea. Because their adequate treatment remains a clinical challenge, new treatment options are explored, such as oral β-blockers.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of oral β-blockers for rosacea-associated facial flushing and erythema.

Value of reflectance confocal microscopy for the monitoring of rosacea during treatment with topical ivermectin.

Background: Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) enables noninvasive mite detection in rosacea. Objective scoring of rosacea severity is currently lacking.

Objectives: To determine the value of RCM for monitoring , inflammation and vascular parameters in rosacea during treatment.

The value of (video)dermoscopy in the diagnosis and monitoring of common inflammatory skin diseases: a systematic review.

Clinical diagnosis of inflammatory skin disorders (ISD), including hair and nail disorders, is not always straightforward. Not uncommonly, a punch biopsy may be required. Dermoscopy and videodermoscopy (VD) are non-invasive techniques that are used for in vivo examination of the skin, hair, and nails.

A Cloud-Based Virtual Outpatient Clinic for Patient-Centered Care: Proof-of-Concept Study.

Background: Most electronic health (eHealth) interventions offered to patients serve a single purpose and lack integration with other tools or systems. This is problematic because the majority of patients experience comorbidity and chronic disease, see multiple specialists, and therefore have different needs regarding access to patient data, communication with peers or providers, and self-monitoring of vital signs. A multicomponent digital health cloud service that integrates data sharing, collection, and communication could facilitate patient-centered care in combination with a hospital patient portal and care professionals.

Effectiveness of Biologic and Conventional Systemic Therapies in Adults with Chronic Plaque Psoriasis in Daily Practice: A Systematic Review.

The efficacy of biologic or conventional systemic therapies for psoriasis has been shown in randomized controlled trials. Effectiveness, however, has been studied in daily practice cohorts, and no aggregation of effectiveness data is available. This systematic review searched PubMed and EMBASE and summarized the real-world evidence on effectiveness of biologics (adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab and ustekinumab) and conventional systemic therapies (acitretin, cyclosporine, fumarates and methotrexate) for the treatment of plaque psoriasis in adults.

Results of three analytical approaches on long-term efficacy of etanercept for psoriasis in daily practice.

Background: A problem encountered when analyzing long-term efficacy is that the number of patients in follow-up decreases with time for different reasons. The method used to account for missing observations for the therapy under analysis has a great influence on the inference of efficacy.

Objective: To describe the long-term efficacy of etanercept for psoriasis in daily practice using 3 analytical approaches.

Appropriate infliximab infusion dosage and monitoring: results of a panel meeting of rheumatologists, dermatologists and gastroenterologists.

What Is Already Known About This Subject: Infliximab is an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease (both adult and paediatric), ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis and plaque psoriasis and national and international guidelines have been developed for each indication.

What This Study Adds: This study is the first study which compared current international, national and local guidelines from the medical specialties involved in the treatment with infliximab on the following topics: indication, dosage, synergy and monitoring of vital signs.

Aims: Infliximab, an anti-TNF biologic agent, is currently indicated and reimbursed for rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease (both adult and paediatric), ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis and plaque psoriasis.

Extent and clinical consequences of antibody formation against adalimumab in patients with plaque psoriasis.

Objectives: To investigate the extent antibodies to adalimumab are formed in patients with plaque psoriasis and whether these antibodies have clinical consequences. Also, to examine the relationship between antibodies to adalimumab and adalimumab trough titers.

Design: Prospective observational cohort study.

Analysis of 4-year Dutch reimbursement application data of biological therapies for psoriatic arthritis.

Objectives: To get the approval for reimbursement of biological therapies for PsA, patients need to fulfil specific criteria in many countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the 4-year Dutch reimbursement application data, including the diagnostic, disease activity and response criteria that were applied for treatment of PsA with biologics.

Methods: All initial and follow-up applications for approval of treatment with biologics were included for investigation.

Cardiovascular risk factors in high-need psoriasis patients and its implications for biological therapies.

Background: The associations between psoriasis and cardiovascular risk factors are reported to be stronger as psoriasis severity increases. This makes studying cardiovascular risk factors in high-need psoriasis patients, eligible for biological therapy, interesting.

Objective: To survey the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in high-need psoriasis patients and to compare these data to patients with other dermatological diseases.

Etanercept and efalizumab treatment for high-need psoriasis. Effects and side effects in a prospective cohort study in outpatient clinical practice.

Background: Since the beginning of 2005, etanercept and efalizumab are officially registered and reimbursed for the treatment of recalcitrant psoriasis in The Netherlands.

Objective: The evaluation of the efficacy, safety and adverse events of etanercept and efalizumab treatment in daily practice.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was carried out for patients treated with etanercept or efalizumab between February 2005 and March 2006.