Patients’ Preferences Regarding Modes of Systemic Psoriasis Treatment – A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background Treatment with pathogenesis-directed biologics and oral systemic drugs have made complete clearance of psoriasis a realistic expectation for many patients with psoriasis. Patients’ preferences among these treatments varies. Objective To understand factors impacting psoriasis patients’preferences for injection vs oral medication. Methods Psoriasis patients who receive systemic psoriasis treatment were asked to participate in a semi-structured interview. Sample size was based on achieving saturation with equal number of patients preferring oral vs injectable medications to ensure equal representation of both groups. Qualitative analysis was performed to interpret the results. Results Twenty-two patients participated in the study, 12 males and 10 females. Ten patients were receiving oral medication (apremilast or methotrexate) and 12 patients were receiving injectables (guselkumab, adalimumab, risankizumab, secukinumab, ixekizumab, or tildrakizumab) due to self-reported preference. Five themes resulted from the analysis: patients receiving injectables more frequently discussed the positive impact of the medication on quality of life compared to patients on oral medication; fear of side effects, particularly fear of immunosuppression, is associated with injection medications; avoidance of needles drives patients away from injection medication and towards oral systemic medication; patients prioritize convenience when selecting systemic therapy, though the definition of convenience is subject to perception; and patients value the medication recommendation of the physician, regardless of the route of administration. Conclusion Improving medication adherence and disease outcomes through individualized treatment plans, with an emphasis on patients’ preferences using a shared decision-making approach, may be helpful.