PsorEX web
In private dermatology practices, treatment selection for patients with psoriasis is more commonly based on traditional concepts than on evidence-based data on the efficacy of various therapeutic options. In addition, it appears that systemic or biologic therapies are occasionally not applied in situations where they are needed, either due to uncertainties about the medication itsself or to the increased effort involved in monitoring the patients for unwanted side effects and possible interactions with other drugs. These findings might reflect the fact that until now, most patients with psoriasis requiring biologic therapy attend dermatology outpatient clinics for treatment initiation and subsequent monitoring. As teledermatology is well accepted among dermatologists in private practice, teledermatology may serve as a valuable and time-saving tool to implement individualized care plans also for those patients with psoriasis, who attend a private practice.
The present project PsorEX web should provide baseline data on the feasibility of teledermatology services for the management of patients with high-need psoriasis attending private practices, and aims to investigate the question whether patient satisfaction with quality of care is comparably high between private dermatology practices and specialized outpatient clinics, if dermatologists in private practice are supported by telemedicine services.