Comparing psoriasis advertisement methods with patient willingness to initiate treatment

Background: Many patients with psoriasis struggle with taking biologic agents. The way in which providers present medications could enhance treatment adherence.Objectives: To determine how fear appeals, personal appeals, and social appeals influence psoriasis patients' willingness to use a biologic.Methods: A randomized online survey study was used to assess subjects with a self-reported diagnosis of psoriasis and their willingness to initiate treatment. Subjects were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive an online survey with the following emotional appeals: social, fear, or personal (n = 315). Subject-reported willingness to take treatment was recorded on a 10-point Likert scale and analyzed via single-factor ANOVA, two-group t-tests, chi-squared analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis.Results: A total of 315 subjects with a reported diagnosis of psoriasis completed the survey. Patient demographic information includes the following: mean age of 35 years ± 11.2; 67% female. Compared to subjects presented with a social appeal (M = 6.2, SD = 2.9), subjects presented with a fear appeal (M = 7.1, SD = 2.5, p = .01) and personal appeal (M = 7.0, SD = 2.7, p = .03) reported a greater average willingness to take treatment.Conclusions: Presenting biologic agents using fear or personal appeals may be a simple and effective technique to improve patients' willingness to take treatment.