[Interdisciplinary training program for adults with psoriaisis: six months follow-up]

The aim of our pilot study was to evaluate effects of an interdisciplinary training program for adult psoriasis patients after six months follow-up.

Eleven patients with psoriasis participated in an interdisciplinary training program over a weekend taught by dermatologists, psychologists/psychiatrists, and dieticians. Six months follow-up was performed with a questionnaire.

The knowledge acquired improved the cooperation with the treating dermatologist (7 of 11), the patients' ability to cope with their disease (11 of 11), and their ability to improving their health status (8 of 11). Their general well-being was increased (9 of 11) and they could better care for their skin disease because they better understood the need for care (9 of 11), and could better judge the best approach for various levels of disease activity (8 of 11).

These data show early benefits and suggest such a longer lasting effect of this type of psoriasis training and prevention program. Further studies with larger samples and control parameters will have to examine if these results can be confirmed.