Patients with psoriasis prefer solution and foam vehicles: a quantitative assessment of vehicle preference

Psoriasis patients' acceptance of the vehicles used in topical therapy contributes to adherence to treatment plans and outcomes, but patient preferences for different vehicles have not been assessed. The purpose of this study was to develop a quantitative measure of patient preferences for different vehicles and to assess these preferences. Focus group sessions were conducted of patients with psoriasis to determine patient perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of different topical psoriasis therapies. This information was used to derive a vehicle preference measure to assess different topical therapies. Twenty patients with psoriasis sampled different topical psoriasis medications, assessed the effects of the vehicles on quality of life (QOL), and completed the preference measure for each vehicle. The focus group sessions resulted in the development of a 7-item preference measure. The validity of the vehicle preference measure was demonstrated by good correlation with patient expectations of effects on QOL and by test-retest reliability. The foam and solution vehicles were preferred over the cream, gel, and ointment vehicles (P < .01). There was no significant difference between preferences for daytime and nighttime application of vehicles. Although validated measures of adherence to topical therapy are not yet available, the results of this study suggest that the characteristics of solution and foam may favor improved adherence to topical therapy.