Original articlePatient-reported outcomes for psoriasis patients with clear versus almost clear skin in the clinical setting

BackgroundThere is little evidence to guide the establishment of treatment goals for moderate to severe psoriasis in the clinical setting.ObjectiveWe sought to compare Dermatology Life Quality Index scores and prescription topical medication use between patients with clear versus almost clear skin.MethodsThis was a multicenter cross-sectional study of 97 patients with clear skin and 441 patients with almost clear skin receiving current systemic therapy or phototherapy for a primary indication of plaque psoriasis evaluated at 1 of 10 US outpatient dermatology sites participating in the Dermatology Clinical Effectiveness Research Network.ResultsIn adjusted analyses, patients with clear versus almost clear skin were more likely to report no impact of psoriasis on quality of life (relative risk 1.60; 95% confidence interval 1.37-1.86). Patients with clear versus almost clear skin were also more likely to report no prescription topical medication use in the preceding week (relative risk 2.08; 95% confidence interval 1.73-2.49).LimitationsCross-sectional design prohibits longitudinal assessment of outcomes.ConclusionsClinically important differences in quality of life and prescription topical medication use exist between patients with clear versus almost clear skin. Collectively, our results indicate that achievement of clear skin may be an important clinical distinction among patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.