A value-based outcome set (VOS) has been developed for psoriasis, according to an article published online Dec. 7 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology .

Niels Timo Hilhorst, M.D., from Ghent University in Belgium, and colleagues developed an actionable VOS for psoriasis for daily practice in a mixed-method approach consisting of four phases. A systematic review was conducted to review all patient-relevant outcomes defined in the literature. The 23 outcomes identified were presented to patients using a modified nominal group technique (NGT). These outcomes were then ranked according to importance by patients from a specialized psoriasis clinic. To assess which instruments were available and suitable for assessing the outcomes, a review of the literature was performed.

The researchers note that after the NGT, two of the 23 outcomes were omitted. One hundred twenty patients participated in the ranking exercise. Symptom control, treatment efficacy, confidence in care, and control of disease were the outcomes scored as most important; comorbidity control, productivity, and cost of care were the least important. The ranking of the outcomes differed significantly. To measure the outcomes in this VOS, 12 instruments, which are reported by both patient and provider, were selected. For the patient part, the median completion time was 30 minutes.

"This first proposal of a VOS gives health care professionals insights on what might matter to their patients and shows how they could start measuring the value they create in daily clinical practice, with the resource setting they apply," the authors write.

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