Publications

Health Expect. 2021 Oct;24(5):1790-1800

Chronic visible skin diseases are highly prevalent, and patients affected frequently report feeling stigmatised. Interventions to reduce stigmatisation are rare.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured short intervention in reducing stigmatising attitudes towards psoriasis in future educators.

Wound Repair Regen. 2021 May;29(3):452-459

The Wound-QoL is an often used reliable and valid measure, originally developed in Germany. It has been sequentially translated and validated for other languages/coun- tries, for the measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with chronic wounds. However, a study from the United States postulated its benefits from further adaptations. Furthermore, some patients struggled to provide an answer for some of the items. We aimed to test the cross-cultural structure and psychometric per- formance of the questionnaire to suggest necessary revisions.

Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2021 Sep 14

Pruritus has been shown to be a common and burdensome complaint in the general population. In some diseases, there is an even higher rate and intensity of pruritus such as in chronic kidney diseases. In particular, patients re- quiring dialysis commonly suffer from pruritus with propor- tions between 22.0 and 90.0%. Few data on the characteris- tics and burden of such pruritus have been published. There- fore, the aim of this study was to investigate the extent and profiles of pruritus in such patients related to skin lesions and care.

Patient Prefer Adherence. 2021 Jul 14;15:1571-1578

The questionnaire for the quality of life with chronic wounds (Wound-QoL) is a valid and reliable instrument to determine the disease-specific health-related QoL of patients with chronic wounds. For the interpretation of HRQoL scores, it is additionally important to know which differences in scores are considered meaningful. The minimal important difference (MID) is defined as a change in HRQoL that a patient would consider meaningful, such that the patient would judge a treatment to be beneficial and worthy of repeating.

 J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2021 Nov;35(11):2166-2184

Patients with chronic skin diseases suffer from physical and psychosocial impairments which can lead to a cumulative life-long burden. Therefore, the concept of cumulative life course impairment (CLCI) was introduced, referring to the non- reversible damage due to the persistent life-long burden. This systematic review (PROSPERO registry number: CRD42020179141) aimed at mapping the risk factors and the associated burden over time in patients with psoriasis, ato- pic dermatitis (AD) and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2021 Nov 24

Misconceptions about visible skin diseases are widespread, and patients often face discrimination and stigmatization due to their condition. The associated negative health and psychosocial consequences of stigmatization in skin diseases have prompted an increase in research activity in recent times, resulting in a wide variety of assessment measures. This study aimed at aggregating and evaluating evidence of psychometric properties and methodological quality of published measures to assess stigma in visible skin diseases.

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2021 Jul;35(7):1493-1504

The burden of visible skin diseases (VSDs) includes not only physical symptoms but also psychosocial consequences such as depression, anxiety, impaired quality of life and low self-esteem. Stigmatization was shown to play a major role in people with skin diseases. The aim of the study was to review the evidence for the components, drivers and impacts of (self-)stigma, and to organize the data into a series of conceptual models.