Impact

  1. Early PsA” diagnosis and earlier personalised treatments to patients will impact the disease progression and ultimately prevent PsA development
  2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will assist in the identification of endotypes which will give insight into the clinical and biological heterogeneities of PsA
  3. Development of objective and sensitive functional measures will enable the early diagnosis of PsA in psoriasis patients and the early prediction of bone/joint damage in PsA patients, yielding long-term reduction in disease and improvement of patients’ quality of life
  4. Improved rates of treatment successes through better understanding of the relationship between molecular characteristics of PsA and treatment responses would reduce costs to patients (side effects) and society (economics)

Impact on people with psoriatic disease

Psoriatic disease has a considerable impact on people’s quality of life. People do not only suffer from clinical symptoms such as joint pain, functional limitations, itching or fatigue, they are also experiencing social and psychological consequences because of changes in body image and appearence. Social isolation, stigmatisation and lack of understanding at the work place are regularly reported. Social support within families is not self evident and can lead to problems in friendship and intimate relations. Some people also experience negative responses from health professionals who regard psoriasis as a ‚cosmatic‘ problem. Many patients report low levels of quality of life. Symptoms of depression and anxiety are not rare. People with psoriatic disease may develop low expectations of health care and avoid seeking help. This might explain the delay of diagnoses, late start of effective treatments and worse treatment outcomes that are regularly seen.