Patients' views on care and treatment after phototherapy for psoriasis and atopic eczema including a gender perspective

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis and atopic eczema are reportedly as common among women as among men and are not known to differ in severity between sexes. Research has shown that men get more treatment with ultraviolet (UV) light for longer periods than women. This fact, together with ongoing efforts to improve patient satisfaction with care and treatment at our department, prompted us to gather information from our patients. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore patients' views of dermatological care and treatment methods. Method: A questionnaire‐based survey was carried out, complemented with qualitative interviews. Results: The main findings fall under three areas of clinical relevance: information to patients must be individually designed with a gender perspective; men and women have different attitudes towards greasing which must be kept in mind in clinical practice; and women often appear to be under‐prescribed UV treatment. Conclusion: The information from our study can form a basis for new therapeutic strategies, taking a gender perspective into account.

• Atopic eczema
• gender
• interviews
• psoriasis
• questionnaire
• UV treatment