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Impact of Psoriasis on Patients’ Work and Productivity

A Retrospective, Matched Case-Control Analysis

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Abstract

Background: Psoriasis negatively impacts patient quality of life; however, the impact on work and productivity is not well known.

Objective: To determine the impact of psoriasis on work and productivity using data from the National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS).

Methods: Data collected from 40 730 adults who completed the NHWS between 1 May and 30 June 2004, of whom 1127 had psoriasis, were analyzed. Psoriasis patients and a matched cohort of non-psoriasis patients were identified to assess the impact of psoriasis on work and productivity.

Results: Psoriasis patients were more likely to have missed work for health-related reasons (p < 0.05), had significantly more health-related work productivity impairment (p < 0.001), more overall work impairment (p < 0.001), and more impairment in activity other than work (p < 0.001) than non-psoriasis patients.

Conclusions: The results of this large-scale national survey suggest that psoriasis has a significant negative impact on overall work productivity.

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Acknowledgments

This study was sponsored by Centocor Research and Development, Inc., Malvern, PA, USA. The authors would like to thank Kristin Ruley Sharples, PhD and James Barrett of Centocor Ortho Biotech, Inc. for their writing support. Mr Mills is currently an independent consultant and Dr Bala is currently employed by GlaxoSmithKline.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Services, LLC, Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA

    Ying Wu

  2. Consumer Health Sciences, Princeton, New Jersey, USA

    Douglas Mills

  3. Centocor, Inc., Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA

    Mohan Bala

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  1. Ying Wu
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  2. Douglas Mills
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  3. Mohan Bala
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Wu, Y., Mills, D. & Bala, M. Impact of Psoriasis on Patients’ Work and Productivity. AM J Clin Dermatol 10, 407–410 (2009). https://doi.org/10.2165/11310440-000000000-00000

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/11310440-000000000-00000

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