Published Nov 20, 2013

Oxford, United Kingdom - Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune condition of the skin that affects approximately 125 million people around the world. In addition to causing pain, itch and discomfort, psoriasis can leave patients feeling self-conscious about what others might be thinking about their disease, severely impacting their self-image, relationships and quality of life more generally. Previous research has highlighted that the EQ-5D – a widely used generic measure for the assessment of health status – may be insensitive in some disease states, including psoriasis. The development of disease-specific “bolt-on” modules has been suggested as one potential solution to problems with content validity. Researchers at Eli Lilly and Company in collaboration with Oxford Outcomes, explored the feasibility of developing and valuing a disease-specific version of the EQ-5D for use in psoriasis. A review of published literature, discussion with a clinical expert and exploratory interviews with patients were all undertaken to identify potential additional dimensions for a psoriasis-specific version of the EQ-5D. The resulting instrument, the EQ-PSO, assesses “skin irritation” and “self-confidence” in addition to the existing five dimensions. The new EQ-PSO instrument may yield greater responsiveness to changes in health status in patients with psoriasis, allowing for more accurate measurements of the burden of psoriasis and the value of treatments for the condition. “The development of a ‘bolt-on’ version of the EQ-5D instrument is an important step in the field of valuation. We hope the EQ-PSO will be seen as an essential addition to the set of outcome measures suitable for use in psoriasis, allowing for a more accurate evaluation of health status for psoriasis patients in the near future,” said Andrew Lloyd, vice president of Patient Reported Outcomes at Oxford Outcomes.  The full study, “Development of a Disease-Specific Version of the EQ-5D-5L for Use in Patients Suffering from Psoriasis: Lessons Learned from a Feasibility Study in the UK,” is published in Value in Health.

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