JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Psoriasis is a lifelong, relapsing, quick-to-flare skin disease that requires personalised, continuous management. Due to its unpredictable nature, there is an increased interest in employing electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) for remote monitoring of the condition. However, adherence and predictors of adherence have not been sufficiently explored among patients with psoriasis.

Objective:

This study aims to assess the adherence to ePROMs and the predictors of adherence among patients with psoriasis.

Methods:

In this paper, we utilised an observational study that spanned multiple centers to measure adherence to ePROMs of 55 patients managed in primary care and 55 in specialised care for 12 months. We co-analysed it alongside the longitudinal healthcare data recorded in the country-wide health insurance database – a unique dataset previously unavailable for researchers of remote monitoring. While continuing with routine clinical care, patients were periodically prompted to fill ePROMs. Adherence to remote monitoring for both care levels was calculated, and evaluated in relation to a range of potential predictors.

Results:

A total of 87 patients (male = 43; female = 44) were included into the adherence calculation, including 46 patients in the high adherence group, 22 in the medium adherence group, and 19 in the low adherence group. The total adherence ratio was 71.6% (±25.7%). The adherence ratio in primary care patients was 73.7% (±25.5%) and in specialised care patients 69.9% (±26.0%). We have found a significant association between age category and adherence (P=.044).

Conclusions:

This study adds to existing research on using ePROMs in chronic diseases while demonstrating the feasibility of utilising ePROMs for remote monitoring of chronic skin diseases and at cross-care levels. Findings provide valuable insights into predictors of adherence, which are crucial for developing personalised approaches to improve the effectiveness of remote monitoring with ePROMs in psoriasis. Importantly, adherence remains strong among older adults, supporting broader implementation of ePROM-based remote care. Clinical Trial: Research Ethics Committee of the University of Tartu, Estonia (ethical approval code: 350/T-14)