An Analysis of the Perception of Psoriasis Symptoms and the Impact on Willingness to Seek Medical Attention

Abstract

Background: Most people with psoriasis do not have a medical visit for psoriasis within a given year. Objective: To assess individuals’ perceptions of the impact of psoriasis symptoms and how this impact affects willingness to seek medical attention. Methods: A total of 302 subjects with self-reported psoriasis were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk and surveyed via Qualtrics to assess the impact of psoriasis on their daily lives and willingness to seek medical care. Comparisons were made between subjects presented with either an image of mild psoriasis or severe psoriasis. Outcome measures were evaluated on a 10-point Likert scale and compared using 1-way analysis of variance and 2-group t tests. Results: In the mild and severe psoriasis groups, those who rated the impact on their daily life ≥8 (1-10 scale) reported a greater willingness to seek medical attention for their psoriasis ( M = 9.1, SD = 1.5) compared to those who rated the impact between 6 and 7 ( M = 7.5, SD = 1.9, P < .01) and between 1 and 5 ( M = 6.4, SD = 2.4, P < .01). Those who rated the impact between 6 and 7 ( M = 7.5, SD = 1.9) reported a greater willingness to seek medical attention compared to those who rated the impact between 1 and 5 ( M = 6.4, SD = 2.4, P < .01). Conclusion: Patients with psoriasis may not visit a dermatologist in part due to not viewing their symptoms as severe enough to seek medical attention.