Psoriasis causes as much disability as other major medical diseases

In the 1990s patients with psoriasis were suffering with few options. To complement their treatment, we started a psoriasis support group, engaging a psychologist, Dr Stephen Rapp, to support our efforts. Dr Rapp was intrigued by the enormous impact that he saw psoriasis having on our patients. Together, we embarked on a quantitative study of that impact. Dr Rapp brought to this project his expertise in formal quality of life assessment; at the time, such patient-reported outcomes were just beginning to be used in dermatology. 1 Finlay A.Y. Khan G.K. Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)–a simple practical measure for routine clinical use. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1994; 19: 210-216 Crossref PubMed Scopus (3642) Google Scholar , 2 Chren M.M. Lasek R.J. Quinn L.M. Mostow E.N. Zyzanski S.J. Skindex, a quality-of-life measure for patients with skin disease: reliability, validity, and responsiveness. J Invest Dermatol. 1996; 107: 707-713 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (564) Google Scholar