Psoriasis Patients May Gain Valuable Support From Virtual Communities

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Eczema / Psoriasis
Also Included In: Dermatology;  IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 20 Jan 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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According to Archives of Dermatology, psoriasis patients receive valuable educational, psychological and social support from online support communities.

Archives of Dermatology is a JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) journal.

The article explains that about 0.6% to 4.8% of the world's population is currently affected by psoriasis. Not only does psoriasis cause skin and joint problems, but also it can undermine a person's emotional, physical and sexual well-being - hence the need to provide the patient with psychological support.

Shereene Z. Idriss, B.A., and team at the Center for Connected Health and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, assessed the observed benefits and usage of online psoriasis support groups among 260 adults who participated in one of five such groups (average age 40). The team also recorded patients' disease characteristics and demographic information.

75.7% of those taking part in this study were white, while 60.4% were female and 84.3% were college-educated. The authors write "A total of 188 (73.7 percent) reported having moderate or more severe psoriasis, and 206 (79.9 percent) rated their current general health status as average or better."

The main factor for using an online support site was availability of resources, followed by convenience, access to good advice, plus not having to be embarrassed when talking about personal issues. About three-fourths of the participants said anonymity is a key feature of online support use. 49% said they perceived improvements in their quality of life while 41% perceived improvements in their actual psoriasis severity since joining an online support community

"Although online psoriasis support groups are still in their nascent stage, they have captured a loyal and growing audience. The dermatology community should consider leveraging the infrastructure of online support groups to build on delivering personalized and integrated medical care to individuals affected by psoriasis," the authors conclude.

Archives of Dermatology. 2009;145[1]:46-51.

This study was supported by the Center for Connected Health. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

Source - JAMA - Archives of Dermatology

Written by - Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
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