The socio-economic burden of H1-antihistamine-refractory chronic spontaneous urticaria in Germany.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM: Data from the AWARE study (A Worldwide Antihistamine-Refractory chronic urticaria patient Evaluation) illustrate a substantial disease burden in German patients with H1-antihistamine (-H1-AH)-refractory chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). Detrimental effects on patients' quality of life, poor disease control and impairment in the ability to work and perform other daily activities are reported. Based on these findings, this study aims to quantify the epidemiological and socio-economic burden of H1-AH-refractory CSU in Germany. METHODS: To determine the epidemiological burden of H1-AH-refractory CSU, the age- and gender-specific prevalence of CSU and the proportion of H1-AH-refractory patients in Germany anonymized data from the InGef research database have been used. In a second step, the socio-economic burden in terms of lost numbers of hours in paid and unpaid work was calculated by extrapolating the age- and gender-specific work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) observed in AWARE to the H1-AH-refractory CSU population in Germany. Finally, productivity losses in paid and unpaid work were monetized using the human capital and the friction cost approach respectively. Moreover, socio-economic burden was calculated depending on symptom control of the patients (measured by urticaria control test [UCT]). RESULTS: In Germany, over 203,000 patients (20 years or older) had H1-AH-refractory CSU in 2018. The avoided lost paid and unpaid work hours attributable to H1-AH-refractory CSU summed up to over 100 million. Overall, the socio-economic burden of H1-AH-refractory CSU in monetary terms was evaluated at € 2.2 billion and the majority of this was due to unpaid work loss. Patients with poor disease control, as indicated by UCT score < 12, were more likely to suffer from high impairment than patients with controlled disease, resulting in a higher socio-economic burden. CONCLUSION: The results of our analyses picture the substantial socio-economic burden of H1-AH-refractory CSU and therefore the tremendous impact it has on daily lives of individuals and society overall.

Perception and Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Psoriasis Patients: Data from the German PsoBest and the CoronaBest Registries.

Background: Limited data are available characterizing the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on psoriasis care for patients in Germany. Objective: To analyze patient perception and impact of the pandemic on well-being and psoriasis management of German patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis or psoriasis arthritis under systemic therapies. Methods: The CoronaBest registry captures events of SARS-CoV-2 infections and analyzes the impact of the pandemic on patients with psoriasis or psoriasis arthritis. In June 2020, and independently in February 2022, patients with psoriasis or psoriasis arthritis received a standardized questionnaire for current treatment, protective measures, well-being, and individual risks for COVID-19, among others. Results: Included were 4,194 patients in 2020 (mean age of 47.7 years and 41.8% women) and 4,818 patients in 2022 (mean age of 56.4 and 42.9% women). Treatment discontinuations were observed in 2.7% and 1.7% of patients in 2020 and 2022, respectively. In the vast majority of the cases (>92%), no additional measures were taken concerning the management of psoriasis treatments in either 2020 or 2022. Those patients with changes reported most frequently: telephone calls instead of face-to-face visits (80.2%, in 2020 vs 40.5% in 2022) or more frequent controls (27.1%, 2020 vs 22.0%, 2022). A majority (66.7%, 2020, and 70.6%, 2022) did not perceive the virus as a considerable threat. The proportion of patients feeling well informed about COVID-19 by physicians increased from 42.6% in 2020 to 51.8% in 2022. About 81.1% of patients in 2020 and 67.5% in 2022 stated that their overall personal condition was not affected due to the pandemic. Physicians attributed no special risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 in most of the patients. Conclusion: A high rate of systemic treatment persistence and awareness of risks and protective measures indicate that health care for psoriasis largely followed current national and international recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Care and medical costs of urticaria in children in Germany : Drugs, medical and inpatient services]. / Versorgung und Krankheitskosten der Urtikaria bei Kindern in Deutschland : Arzneimittel, ärztliche und stationäre Leistungen.

BACKGROUND: Data on the course of urticaria in children exist, but there is a lack of sound data on patient management to ensure high-quality care. METHODS: Retrospective secondary data analysis in the field of health care and epidemiology in children with urticaria based on routine data from a German health insurance company (DAK-Gesundheit). Data from insured persons under 18 years of age who were treated as outpatients or inpatients with a diagnosis of urticaria (according to ICD-10 classification) in 2010-2015 were included. The control group consisted of children without a corresponding diagnosis, in order to clarify health economic and care-related differences after adjusting for age and gender. RESULTS: In 2015, 1904 (1.3%) of 151,248 insured minors had a diagnosis of urticaria. Of the children with urticaria, 70.9% visited at least one physician on an outpatient basis. Of these visits, 70.9% were made to a pediatrician, 52.5% to a general practitioner and 33.0% to a dermatologist; 11% were treated as inpatients. With a total of 151,248 insured persons, 1904 of whom were diagnosed with urticaria, 72.9% of children and adolescents with versus 28.9% without urticaria were treated topically or systemically in 2015, including 10.5% of children with urticaria vs. 2.6% without urticaria received topical therapy and 70.0% with urticaria received systemic therapy vs. 27.5% without urticaria with systemic therapy. The most commonly used oral medications for urticaria were cetirizine (44.2%), prednisolone (9.8%), and dimetindene (2.0%) . Topical methylprednisolone aceponate (49.8%) was prescribed most frequently. The therapy costs for systemic drugs was €â€¯24.00 per patient, while topical drugs cost €â€¯1.58 per patient. CONCLUSION: The lack of guidelines for the standardization of treatment in children still leads to ambiguities and different treatment concepts among the specialist groups, which must be eliminated in order to enable more efficient therapies. The treatment of chronic urticaria in children and adolescents is mainly carried out by pediatricians, general practitioners and dermatologists. Systemic and topical medications as well as inpatient services are the most important cost factors.

Managing dry skin in patients with comorbidities or with advanced age: unmet needs and roles for products containing potential emollient-plus ingredients.

In dry skin (DS), skin-barrier function is easily disturbed and moisturizing factors in the stratum corneum are reduced. Despite being a common condition, DS is often overlooked in patients with advanced age or comorbid diseases. In September 2022, specialists in dermatology and skin care met to discuss unmet needs and management of patients with DS with existing medical conditions or DS induced by ongoing pharmacological treatments. There was consensus about the need to improve the current understanding and management of DS in patients with comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, radiodermatitis, and photodamaged skin. Clinical guidance related to optimal treatment of DS in patients with advanced age or comorbid diseases is needed. Dexpanthenol-containing emollients have been shown to provide rapid relief from the symptoms and clinical signs of skin inflammation and are well-tolerated and effective in terms of moisturizing and soothing DS and maintaining skin-barrier function. Thus, dexpanthenol-containing emollients may play an important role in future management of DS. Further research is needed to elucidate the efficacy of dexpanthenol across the spectrum of DS, irrespective of comorbidity status or age.

Real-world outcomes and drug survival of brodalumab: results from the German Psoriasis Registry PsoBest.

Brodalumab, a human monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-17 receptor A (IL-17RA), is approved in the US and EU for treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Although brodalumab has demonstrated efficacy and safety vs placebo in clinical trials of patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), real-world evidence is needed to evaluate long-term effectiveness and safety of brodalumab in routine care. This interim analysis of the German Psoriasis Registry PsoBest examined patient profiles, treatment outcomes, and drug survival of first-time use of brodalumab for 12 months in adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis (with and without PsA) (data cutoff: June 30, 2021). Clinician and patient-reported outcomes of the total cohort (n = 227; PsA, n = 38) indicated a rapid response to brodalumab treatment within the first 3 months, which was maintained up to 12 months. The overall one-year drug survival rate was 76.2%, the mean time to discontinuation was 8.3 months. Reasons for discontinuation were mainly loss/lack of effectiveness, followed by adverse events, contraindication and skin clearance. In sum, brodalumab demonstrated rapid and sustained effectiveness and was well-tolerated over 12 months in German patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis and PsA in a real-world setting.

Spatial characteristics of non-communicable diseases and their associations to social conditions in a large urban cohort in Germany-Results from the Hamburg City Health Study.

BACKGROUND: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for many deaths. They are associated with several modifiable and metabolic risk factors and are therefore prone to significant regional variations on different scales. However, only few intra-urban studies examined spatial variation in NCDs and its association with social circumstances, especially in Germany. Thus, the present study aimed to identify associations of personal risk factors and local social conditions with NCDs in a large German city. METHODS: This study is based on a population-based cohort of the Hamburg City Health Study including 10,000 probands. Six NCDs were analyzed (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], coronary heart disease [CHD], diabetes mellitus, heart failure, depression, and hypertension) in 68 city district clusters. As risk factors, we considered socio-demographic variables (age, sex, education) and risk behaviour variables (smoking, alcohol consumption). Logistic regression analyses identified associations between the district clusters and the prevalence rates for each NCD. Regional variation was detected by Gini coefficients and spatial cluster analyses. Local social condition indexes were correlated with prevalence rates of NCDs on city district level and hot-spot analyses were performed for significant high or low values. RESULTS: The analyses included 7,308 participants with a mean age of 63.1 years (51.5% female). The prevalence of hypertension (67.6%) was the highest. Risk factor associations were identified between smoking, alcohol consumption and education and the prevalence of NCDs (hypertension, diabetes, and COPD). Significant regional variations were detected and persisted after adjusting for personal risk factors. Correlations for prevalence rates with the local social conditions were significant for hypertension (r = 0.294, p < 0.02), diabetes (r = 0.259, p = 0.03), and COPD (r = 0.360, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that regional differences in NCD prevalence persist even after adjusting for personal risk factors. This highlights the central role of both personal socio-economic status and behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco consumption. It also highlights the importance of other potential regional factors (e.g. the environment) in shaping NCD prevalence. This knowledge helps policy- and decision-makers to develop intervention strategies.

Which factors influence the participation in statutory skin cancer screenings in Germany?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Due to increasing skin cancer incidence, Germany implemented a statutory nationwide routine skin cancer screening (rSCS) in 2008. The present study aims (1) to analyze which patient factors are associated with the participation in rSCS in Germany and (2) to investigate reasons for nonparticipation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Participants and nonparticipants of rSCS (≥ 35 years) were recruited in routine care in nine dermatological outpatient clinics. Reasons for (non-)participation, knowledge about skin cancer as well as clinical and socioeconomic data were obtained. Stratified by groups, descriptive analyses and binary logistic regression analyses for associations with participation were performed. RESULTS: Of the 294 rSCS participants and 162 non-participants, 46.5% were male with a mean age of 54.5 ± 12.7 years. In total, 87.1% had sunburns in childhood and 47.1% used sunbeds before. Higher age, female gender, previous sunbed use, and concern for and knowledge of skin cancer were significantly associated with previous rSCS participation. Of the non-participants, 46% were unaware of the option for free rSCS and 40% justified their nonparticipation on the basis of feeling healthy. CONCLUSIONS: The reasons for nonparticipation in rSCS, such as sociodemographic characteristics and risk behavior, should be known in order to optimize rSCS programs.

Obesity is linked to disease severity in moderate to severe atopic dermatitis-Data from the prospective observational TREATgermany registry.

BACKGROUND: There are conflicting data on a potential association between obesity and atopic dermatitis (AD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between obesity and AD disease severity. METHODS: Patients from the TREATgermany registry cohort were divided into three groups according to their body mass index (BMI). Due to low numbers, underweight patients (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) were excluded from the analysis. Physician- and patient-reported disease severity scores as well as additional phenotypic characteristics were evaluated for association with BMI. Generalized linear mixed models and multinomial logit models, respectively, were applied to investigate the association of BMI, age, sex and current systemic AD treatment with disease severity. RESULTS: This study encompassed 1416 patients, of which 234 (16.5%) were obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). Obesity was associated with lower educational background and smoking. Otherwise, obese and non-obese AD patients had similar baseline characteristics. Increased BMI was associated with higher oSCORAD (adjusted ß: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.05-1.46, p = 0.013) and Patient-oriented eczema measure (POEM) (adjusted ß: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01-1.17, p = 0.038). However, the absolute difference in the overall oSCORAD was small between obese and non-obese AD patients (Δ oSCORAD = 2.5). Allergic comorbidity was comparable between all three groups, with the exception of asthma which was more pronounced in obese patients (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: In this large and well-characterized AD patient cohort, obesity is significantly associated with physician- and patient-assessed measures of AD disease severity. However, the corresponding effect sizes were low and of questionable clinical relevance. The overall prevalence of obesity among the German AD patients was lower than in studies on other AD cohorts from different countries, which confirms previous research on the German population and suggests regional differences in the interdependence of AD and obesity prevalence.

Welche Faktoren beeinflussen die Teilnahme am gesetzlichen Hautkrebsscreenings in Deutschland?: Which factors influence the participation in statutory skin cancer screenings in Germany?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Due to increasing skin cancer incidence, Germany implemented a statutory nationwide routine skin cancer screening (rSCS) in 2008. The present study aims (1) to analyze which patient factors are associated with the participation in rSCS in Germany and (2) to investigate reasons for nonparticipation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Participants and nonparticipants of rSCS (≥ 35 years) were recruited in routine care in nine dermatological outpatient clinics. Reasons for (non)participation, knowledge about skin cancer as well as clinical and socioeconomic data were obtained. Stratified by groups, descriptive analyses and binary logistic regression analyses for associations with participation were performed. RESULTS: Of the 294 rSCS participants and 162 nonparticipants, 46.5% were male with a mean age of 54.5 ± 12.7 years. In total, 87.1% had sunburns in childhood and 47.1% used sunbeds before. Higher age, female gender, previous sunbed use, and concern for and knowledge of skin cancer were significantly associated with previous rSCS participation. Of the nonparticipants, 46% were unaware of the option for free rSCS and 40% justified their nonparticipation on the basis of feeling healthy. CONCLUSIONS: The reasons for nonparticipation in rSCS, such as sociodemographic characteristics and risk behavior, should be known in order to optimize rSCS programs.

Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) in patients with atopic dermatitis: Are 'not relevant' responses relevant?

INTRODUCTION: According to the DLQI user manual, the patients´ answers 'not relevant' (NR) and 'not at all' (affected in this aspect of life by the skin problem) are treated equally and interpreted as no impairment in health related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this study was to gain more insights about 'not relevant' responders with atopic dermatitis (AD). METHODS: 3,353 patients with AD, recruited from dermatological offices and a patient organisation, were surveyed in three cross-sectional studies. Disease severity (SCORAD) and subjective health status (EQ VAS) were compared for each DLQI item between patients who answered 'not relevant' and all others according to their response category. Different DLQI scoring versions were analysed. RESULTS: Those who stated 'not relevant' in terms of HRQoL limitations in the DLQI domains sports, work/study and sexual relationships were comparable in AD severity and health status to those who felt that their HRQoL was 'a little affected'. Alternative DLQI scoring versions, in which 'not relevant' responses (NRRs) were interpreted as 'a little affected', correlated slightly higher with the SCORAD and EQ VAS than the original DLQI. CONCLUSION: Patients with AD who rate certain life domains as 'not relevant' in the DLQI are most similar in their disease burden to patients who feel a little affected in these areas of life. This suggests that some HRQoL limitations are underestimated by the traditional DLQI scoring. However, alternative scoring solutions have not shown substantially higher correlations with other disease burden criteria compared to the original. Therefore, the gain in validity by alternative scoring versions is small.

[Quality of life, disease burden and healthcare need of patients with vitiligo]. / Lebensqualität, Krankheitslast und Versorgungsbedarf von Patienten mit Vitiligo.

BACKGROUND: With a prevalence of 0.5-2%, vitiligo is one of the most common skin disorders worldwide with loss of pigment. The skin disease has a disfiguring, often stigmatising character and is often associated with psychosocial distress. OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of the psychosocial impairment, disease burden and resulting health care needs of patients with vitiligo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Narrative review based on a literature search in PubMed for the years 1996-2022 on disease burden, quality of life and stigmatization is provided. RESULTS: The search yielded 175 relevant original papers including clinical studies, meta-analyses and systematic reviews (n = 65) for the search period. A large number of studies document that vitiligo is associated with considerable psychosocial stress and relevant losses in quality of life. Problem areas particularly concern stigmatisation, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, reduced self-esteem and problems at work. The observed increased levels of anxiety and depression correlate with the severity and activity of vitiligo. Often, comorbidity also contributes to reduced self-esteem and social isolation. These factors determine a high need for care in a relevant proportion of those affected. CONCLUSION: Vitiligo is not primarily a cosmetic problem, but a disease requiring treatment according to the World Health Organisation's definition of health as physical, mental and social well-being. The benefits of treatment options are to be measured by their effects on patient-reported outcomes.

Modelling of patient journey in chronic spontaneous urticaria: Increasing awareness and education by shorten patients' disease journey in Germany.

BACKGROUND: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is both physically and emotionally stressful, and guideline recommendations are often not optimally implemented in clinical practice. The objective of this study was to provide an overview on the patient journey in CSU and to develop a mathematical model based on solid data. METHODS: The journey of CSU patients in Germany was traced through literature review and expert meetings that included medical experts, pharmacists and representatives of patient organizations. The current situation's main challenges in the patient journey (education, collaboration and disease management) were discussed in depth. Then, a probabilistic model was developed in a co-creation approach to simulate the impact of three potential improvement strategies: (1) patient education campaign, (2) medical professional education programme and (3) implementation of a disease management programme (DMP). RESULTS: Chronic spontaneous urticaria patients are severely burdened by delays in diagnosis and optimal medical care. Our simulation indicates that in Germany, it takes on average of 3.8 years for patients to achieve disease control in Germany. Modelling all three optimization strategies resulted in a reduction to 2.5 years until CSU symptom control. On a population level, the proportion of CSU patients with disease control increased from 44.2% to 58.1%. CONCLUSION: In principle, effective CSU medications and a disease-specific guideline are available. However, implementation of recommendations is lagging in practice. The approach of quantitative modelling of the patient journey validates obstacles and shows a clear effect of multiple interventions on the patient journey. The data generated by our simulation can be used to identify strategies for improving patient care. Our approach might helping in understanding and improving the management of patients beyond CSU.

Subjective evaluation of home environment and levels of self-reported depression in middle to old age: Results from the HCHS study.

OBJECTIVES: The immediate living environment might, like other lifestyle factors, be significantly related to mental well-being. The current study addresses the question whether five relevant subjective home environment variables (i.e., protection from disturbing nightlight, daylight entering the home, safety at home, quality of window views, and noise disturbance) are associated with levels of self-reported depression over and above well-known sociodemographic and common lifestyle variables. METHODS: Data from the Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS) were analyzed. In N = 8757 with available PHQ-9 depression data, multiple linear regression models were computed, with demographic data, lifestyle variables, and variables describing the subjective evaluation of the home environment. RESULTS: The model explained 15% of variance in depression levels, with ratings for the subjective evaluation of home environment accounting for 6%. Better protection from disturbing light at night, more daylight entering the home, feeling safer, and perceived quality of the window views, were all significantly associated with lower, while more annoyance by noise was associated with higher levels of self-reported depression. Results did not differ if examining a sample of the youngest (middle-aged participants: 46-50 years) versus oldest (70-78 years) participants within HCHS. CONCLUSION: Beyond studying the role of lifestyle factors related to self-reported depression, people's homes may be important for subclinical levels of depression in middle and older age, albeit the direction of effects or causality cannot be inferred from the present study. The development of a consensus and tools for a standardized home environment assessment is needed.

Health Economic Consequences Associated With COVID-19-Related Delay in Melanoma Diagnosis in Europe.

Importance: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in delayed access to medical care. Restrictions to health care specialists, staff shortages, and fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection led to interruptions in routine care, such as early melanoma detection; however, premature mortality and economic burden associated with this postponement have not been studied yet. Objective: To determine the premature mortality and economic costs associated with suspended melanoma screenings during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns by estimating the total burden of delayed melanoma diagnoses for Europe. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter economic evaluation used population-based data from patients aged at least 18 years with invasive primary cutaneous melanomas stages I to IV according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) seventh and eighth editions, including melanomas of unknown primary (T0). Data were collected from January 2017 to December 2021 in Switzerland and from January 2019 to December 2021 in Hungary. Data were used to develop an estimation of melanoma upstaging rates in AJCC stages, which was verified with peripandemic data. Years of life lost (YLL) were calculated and were, together with cost data, used for financial estimations. The total financial burden was assessed through direct and indirect treatment costs. Models were building using data from 50 072 patients aged 18 years and older with invasive primary cutaneous melanomas stages I to IV according to the AJCC seventh and eighth edition, including melanomas of unknown primary (T0) from 2 European tertiary centers. Data from European cancer registries included patient-based direct and indirect cost data, country-level economic indicators, melanoma incidence, and population rates per country. Data were analyzed from July 2021 to September 2022. Exposure: COVID-19 lockdown-related delay of melanoma detection and consecutive public health and economic burden. As lockdown restrictions varied by country, lockdown scenario was defined as elimination of routine medical examinations and severely restricted access to follow-up examinations for at least 4 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes were the total burden of a delay in melanoma diagnosis during COVID-19 lockdown periods, measured using the direct (in US$) and indirect (calculated as YLL plus years lost due to disability [YLD] and disability-adjusted life-years [DALYs]) costs for Europe. Secondary outcomes included estimation of upstaging rate, estimated YLD, YLL, and DALY for each European country, absolute direct and indirect treatment costs per European country, proportion of the relative direct and indirect treatment costs for the countries, and European health expenditure. Results: There were an estimated 111 464 (range, 52 454-295 051) YLL due to pandemic-associated delay in melanoma diagnosis in Europe, and estimated total additional costs were $7.65 (range, $3.60 to $20.25) billion. Indirect treatment costs were the main cost driver, accounting for 94.5% of total costs. Estimates for YLD in Europe resulted in 15 360 years for the 17% upstaging model, ranging from 7228 years (8% upstaging model) to 40 660 years (45% upstaging model). Together, YLL and YLD constitute the overall disease burden, ranging from 59 682 DALYs (8% upstaging model) to 335 711 DALYs (45% upstaging model), with 126 824 DALYs for the real-world 17% scenario. Conclusions and Relevance: This economic analysis emphasizes the importance of continuing secondary skin cancer prevention measures during pandemics. Beyond the personal outcomes of a delayed melanoma diagnosis, the additional economic and public health consequences are underscored, emphasizing the need to include indirect economic costs in future decision-making processes. These estimates on DALYs and the associated financial losses complement previous studies highlighting the cost-effectiveness of screening for melanoma.

Sociodemographic and Environmental Determinants of Regional Prevalence of Psoriasis in Germany: A Spatiotemporal Study of Ambulatory Claims Data.

There are regional differences in the prevalence of psoriasis between countries, as well as within countries. However, regional determinants of differences in prevalence are not yet understood. The aim of this study was to identify sociodemographic and environmental determinants of regional prevalence rates for psoriasis. Analyses were based on German outpatient billing data from statutory health insurance, together with data from databases on sociodemographic and environment factors at the county level (N = 402) for 2015-2017. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables. To identify determinants for prevalence at the county level, spatiotemporal regression analysis was performed, with prevalence as the dependent variable, and the number of physicians, mean age, mean precipitation, sunshine hours, mean temperature, level of urbanity, and the German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation (GISD) as independent variables. Mean prevalence of psoriasis increased from 168.63 per 10,000 in 2015 to 173.54 per 10,000 in 2017 for Germany as a whole, with high regional variation. Five determinants were detected (p < 0.05). The prevalence increased by 4.18 per 10,000 persons with SHI with each GISD unit, and by 3.76 per 10,000 with each year increase in age. Each additional hour of sunshine resulted in a decrease of 0.04 and each °C increase in mean temperature resulted in an increase of 4.22. Each additional dermatologist per 10,000 inhabitants resulted in a decrease of 0.07. In conclusion, sociodemographic and environmental factors result in significant differences in prevalence of psoriasis, even within-country.

Patient prioritisation of items to develop the Patient-Reported Impact of Dermatological Diseases measure: A global Delphi study.

BACKGROUND: The Global Research on the Impact of Dermatological Diseases (GRIDD) project is developing the new Patient-Reported Impact of Dermatological Diseases (PRIDD) measure. PRIDD measures the impact of dermatological conditions on the patient's life. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to seek consensus from patients on which items to prioritize for inclusion in PRIDD. METHODS: A modified, two-round Delphi study was conducted. Adults (≥18 years) with dermatological conditions were recruited. The survey consisted of a demographic's questionnaire and 263 potential impact items in six languages. Quantitative data used Likert-type ranking scales and analysed against consensus criteria. Qualitative data collected free text responses for additional feedback and a framework analysis was conducted. RESULTS: 1154 people representing 90 dermatological conditions from 66 countries participated. Items were either removed (n = 79), edited (n = 179) or added (n = 2), based on consensus thresholds and qualitative feedback. Results generated the first draft of PRIDD with 27 items across five impact domains. CONCLUSION: This Delphi study resulted in the draft version of PRIDD, ready for psychometric testing. The triangulated data helped refine the existing conceptual framework of impact. PRIDD has since been pilot tested with patients and is currently undergoing psychometric testing.

[Acquisition, status and transfer of knowledge in compression therapy : Cross-sectional study in healthcare professions using phlebological compression therapy]. / Wissenserwerb, Wissensstand und Wissenstransfer in der Kompressionstherapie : Querschnittsstudie in Gesundheitsberufen, die phlebologische Kompressionsversorgungen anwenden.

BACKGROUND: Due to scientific progress, healthcare professionals should regularly undergo appropriate continuing education. For this, knowledge transfer is essential. Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the acquisition, status and transfer of knowledge of professional groups applying phlebological compression therapy in Germany. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses and medical assistants) received a questionnaire developed for this study, which queried different aspects of acquisition, status and transfer of knowledge. RESULTS: Responses from 522 participants were analysed. The topic of compression therapy was not taught in the nursing or medical education of 43.3%. Specialist journals that address compression therapy were read regularly (at least 6 times/year) by 16.1% of the participants; 63.0% had no specialist books on this subject. Only 6.7% were aware of AWMF ("Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften") guidelines on the topic and 16.3% of the corresponding DNQP ("Deutsches Netzwerk für Qualitätsentwicklung in der Pflege") expert standard. In all, 41.2% participated in at least one internal training on compression therapy per year, 72.0% in external training and 19.2% in online training. A total of 30.7% stated that they did not use any information sources to acquire knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Possible sources of knowledge about compression therapy in Germany are insufficiently known within the investigated healthcare professional groups studied or are not regularly used. The result is a considerable knowledge deficit with a discrepancy between the current state of science and practice.