Development of screening tools to identify psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis that follows an indolent and progressive course. A delay in diagnosis and treatment may lead to irreversible changes such as erosive arthritis, which lead to permanent physical disability and deformity. Administration of a well-designed screening tool can increase detection of PsA and help determine the prevalence of PsA in a given population. Several tools have been developed to help clinicians screen for PsA. Members of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis recently led an effort to develop and validate three PsA screening tools: the Psoriatic Arthritis Screening and Evaluation tool, the Psoriasis Epidemiology Screening Tool, and the Toronto Psoriatic Arthritis Screen.