Dermatologist–Patient In-Office Discussions of Psoriasis: Focus on Quality of Life

Abstract

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that can significantly affect quality of life. Effective communication between health care providers and patients is important for managing psoriasis, and sociolinguistic analysis is a validated method for researching physician–patient interactions. To characterize current in-office communication patterns and to identify potential ways in which such interactions may be improved regarding quality of life, we studied the in-office discussions between 24 patients with psoriasis and their physicians using audio and video recordings. Although many physicians acknowledged the effect of psoriasis on quality of life, few discussed this aspect of the disease with patients. This study offers a foundation for additional research examining communication strategies between patients with psoriasis and their health care providers.