How satisfied are you with your Psoriasis Physician?

[Fred]

After reading the new study by Kantar Health below, I thought the subject would make a good poll for Psoriasis Club.

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• Physician = A person qualified to practice medicine.
  
• Please don't mention any physician's by name if posting on this thread. (I will remove them)
  
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Here is the study, please vote in the poll above.

Quote:

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Four in 10 psoriasis patients—including 25 percent of moderate to severe patients—currently are not under the care of a physician for their condition, according to new research conducted by Kantar Health, a leading global healthcare consulting firm.

Results from a survey conducted among psoriasis patients in the U.S. show that while most patients who do see a physician for their psoriasis are satisfied with the medical care they receive, about one-third have stopped seeing a physician because of their dissatisfaction with their psoriasis treatment or progress. As disease severity increases, these patients are more likely to have changed physicians multiple times.

Patients who are dissatisfied with the care they receive cited their physicians’ inability to provide effective treatment as the primary reason for their dissatisfaction. Only four out of 10 claim to have a satisfactory level of clearing of their psoriasis plaques, with those using prescription treatments being the most satisfied with clearing but still falling short of their expectations. Furthermore, some patients also mentioned their physician had a lack of attention, emotional support or empathy as contributing to their dissatisfaction.

“Physician advice is far and away the greatest influence on how psoriasis is treated,” said Rose Lorenzo, director of research at Kantar Health. “However, a relatively large number of moderate to severe patients are declining to see a doctor about their disease, and those who are being treated are much more likely to be dissatisfied with their physicians. It’s important for physicians to set more realistic expectations on the level of psoriasis clearance they are likely to experience to help close the gap between expectations and treatment satisfaction.”

EDIT: Added a Dutch survey on post #6 or click RE: How satisfied are you with your Psoriasis Physician?

[Fred]

Just to get the ball rolling, I have voted Very.

It took me a long time and a move to France before having confidence in a professional. My GP in the UK was ok but when it came to psoriasis he was absolute rubbish, and as for the dermatologist I was referred too, I would like to go back and meet that man again.
First I would keep him waiting for an hour, then I would get a nurse to take him to a tiny cold damp two tone brown and grey room and tell him to remove all his cloths. Another half an hour later I would go in, hardly talk to him have a passing glance and say "Mmmm You Have Psoriasis." Now comes the fun part, I'm going to get a cup full of MTX and shove them down his throat.

Sorry I went a bit off track there, as you can probably tell my experience has not been good and I did stop seeing a physician for the reasons stated in the survey. But now I do have one that knows what she is doing and spends time listening and talking to me, before giving me something (Stelara) that has given me my life back, I'm very happy.

Oh and her room is nice and bright, not damp, and I'm not left hanging around for ages. Though if on the rear occasion I had to wait a few minutes, there is lovely plastic lump of skin to play with that shows all the different layers.

Thank you my dermatologist, you know who you are.

[Caroline]

I had an alike experience as Fred, but totally different (of course, I am Dutch, so it is not so easy as you would think).

I was at the hospital at the reumatologist. A nice Belgian doctor, who bluntly told me I had PsA and that is was possible that I might end up in a Wheel Chair.
He first tried with injections of prednison in my joints, but than afterwards he moved back to Belgium and his job was taken over by a gorgeous doctor. He was very handsome and started to treat me with MTX.
Well.... that felt bad.... I thought I was being poisoned.
Then... I got a tip from a friend. I went to a doctor for internal diseases. He said that he might be able to help me. btw., he was far from handsome. (but I did not have to undress myself). He gave me a course of dimethylfumarates, and... yess gradually everything became better. In the mean time I had communicated this to my handsome doctor, that I was trying this. He knew the stuff, but they did not use it he said, they were not standing behind prescribing this drug, so they could not help me in this sense.
But anyway..... now I can again dance, walk, spin and riding my motorcycle chasing chickens, thanks to this old friendly and very knowledgeable doctor.
No handsome doctors for me anymore.....

[Hanna]

I think we just get fed up!

We know there's no cure so just keep plodding on......

[Brighteyes]

I was going to say my physician was poor but, on balance, I voted for basic.

I was taken through the treatments available step by step and it did take us a while to get to ciclosporin. As I have rather stubborn PPP it did take a while but it was to be expected.

However, as you may have read on other posts, I've had a least three relapses in the lat couple of years due to the clinic not giving me new appointments before my meds ran out.

And now I've discovered (by seeing a different physician while mine was off sick) that I could have avoided all the kerfuffle of expensive hospital revisits and gone to my GP for bloods and repeat prescriptions. My GP is literally at the bottom of my street.

[Fred]

Following on from the first post about a U.S survey, here is one from two existing Dutch associations for patients with psoriasis.

Quote:

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Objectives:
To answer the following questions: firstly, how satisfied are patients with psoriasis with their current treatment and does patients' satisfaction significantly differ between treatment types when controlling for demographic and clinical factors? Secondly, how important are specific domains of satisfaction to patients, and when taking perceived importance into account, which domains merit the most attention in improving quality of care?

Methods:
Members of the two existing Dutch associations for patients with psoriasis were invited to complete a web-based survey, which included a study-specific satisfaction questionnaire.

Results:
A total of 1293 patients completed the survey (response rate 32%). Overall, patients were moderately satisfied with their current treatment. Patients receiving topical treatment were significantly least satisfied; patients receiving biologic treatment were significantly most satisfied. Overall, patients rated ‘treatment effectiveness’ as most important, followed by ‘treatment safety’ and ‘doctor–patient communication’. Domains with the highest ‘room for improvement’ scores were effectiveness of topical therapy, phototherapy and oral agents (but not biologic treatment), convenience of topical treatment and safety of systemic treatments (both oral agents and biologics).

Conclusions:
From the perspective of patients, biologic treatment is promising. To improve further the quality of psoriasis care, the effectiveness and convenience of topical therapies, the safety of systemic therapies, and doctors' communication skills need to be addressed.

Source: NO LINKS ALLOWED

[Caroline]

Following on from the first post about a U.S survey, here is one from two existing Dutch associations for patients with psoriasis.

Interesting. I have never seen a link to this investigation. This means that the patients group where I have a view on, has been totally out of range.

[Fred]

Following on from the first post about a U.S survey, here is one from two existing Dutch associations for patients with psoriasis.

Interesting. I have never seen a link to this investigation. This means that the patients group where I have a view on, has been totally out of range.

Maybe they went for the large groups as they usually do, us small groups don't count.

I have a Dutch nail psoriasis one too today: Dutch nail psoriasis survey

[jiml]

My dermatologist at our hospital is superb, she spends time discussing the condition and suggesting treatments. The problem is her department is so busy with all skin conditions she now rarely sees me. I just have to waste around 3hours getting to hospital and sitting around waiting at clinic to have a junior doctor, who does not know me, asks me how it is and if I am happy with the treatment and ask me if I feel I could reduce the tablets. ( I'm not a doctor how would I know) I have my blood tests at my local doctors. So all they should be able to do is monitor the results of my bloods and if out of range call me in
I feel the clinics I attend are a waste of my time and a waste of national health resource.
For example. It takes me around an hour to get to my hospital and try to park my car, sometimes is panic because the traffic is heavy but I generally get there on time. Only to find the clinic is running 45 minutes late, I spend less than 10 minutes with the junior doctor (who when I saw him last he was training at medical school) I then have to fight my way through traffic to get back home.
Once a year would be plenty for me whilst I am controlling it well
Oh sorry it's turned into my pet rant





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[denipink56]

since taking black seed oil i don't see a Derm any more. i just see my regular doctor.