Patients with psoriasis and their compliance with medication

Background: Poor compliance with treatment advice in chronic conditions, su ch as psoriasis, represents a major challenge to health care professionals. Previous research suggests that the rate of noncompliance in chronic condi tions may be as high as 40%. Objective: This study was designed to examine self-reported compliance in p atients with psoriasis. Methods: We undertook an anonymous postal survey sent to consecutive patien ts with psoriasis attending a tertiary psoriasis specialty clinic. Results: Thirty-nine percent of participants reported that they did not com ply with the treatment regimen recommended. The noncompliant group had a hi gher self-rated severity of psoriasis (t = -2.16, P = .03), were younger (t = 3.28, P = .001), and had a younger age at onset (t = 2.35, P = .02) than those who were compliant. The noncompliant group reported that psoriasis h ad a greater impact on daily life (t = -2.23, P = .028), but general well-b eing was not significantly different from those who complied (t = .47, P = not significant). Conclusion: Patients who reported intentional noncompliance with treatment advice were more likely to believe that both psoriasis and its treatment in terfered with their quality of life but not overall well-being. The impact of treatment on daily life highlights the importance of joint decision maki ng in planning treatment.