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Evaluating Patients' Unmet Needs in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Results from the Global Survey Of Impact and Healthcare Needs (VOICE) Project

  • Amit Garg
  • , Erica Neuren
  • , Denny Cha
  • , Joslyn S Kirby
  • , John R Ingram
  • , Gregor B E Jemec
  • , Solveig Esmann
  • , Linnea Thorlacius
  • , Bente Villumsen
  • , Véronique Del Marmol
  • , Aude Nassif
  • , Maia Delage
  • , Thrasyvoulos Tzellos
  • , Dagfinn Moseng
  • , Øystein Grimstad
  • , Haley Naik
  • , Robert Micheletti
  • , Sandra Guilbault
  • , Angie Parks Miller
  • , Iltefat Hamzavi
  • Hessel van der Zee, Errol Prens, Naomi Kappe, Christine Ardon, Brian Kirby, Rosalind Hughes, Christos Zouboulis, Georgios Nikolakis, Falk G Bechara, Lukasz Matusiak, Jacek Szepietowski, Amelia Glowaczewska, Saxon D Smith, Noah Goldfarb, Steven Daveluy, Christina Avgoustou, Evangelos Giamarellos-Bourboulis, Steven Cohen, Yssra Soliman, Elena Gonzalez Brant, Oleg Akilov, Christopher Sayed, Jerry Tan, Afsaneh Alavi, Michelle A Lowes, José Carlos Pascual, Hassan Riad, Shani Fisher, Arnon Cohen, So Yeon Paek, Barry Resnik, Qiang Ju, Lanqi Wang, Andrew Strunk

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A needs assessment for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) will support advancements in multidisciplinary care, treatment, research, advocacy, and philanthropy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate unmet needs from the perspective of HS patients.

METHODS: Prospective multinational survey of patients between October 2017 and July 2018.

RESULTS: Before receiving a formal HS diagnosis, 63.7% (n = 827) of patients visited a physician ≥5 times. Mean delay in diagnosis was 10.2 ± 8.9 years. Patients experienced flare daily, weekly, or monthly in 23.0%, 29.8%, and 31.1%, respectively. Most (61.4% [n = 798]) rated recent HS-related pain as moderate or higher, and 4.5% described recent pain to be the worst possible. Access to dermatology was rated as difficult by 37.0% (n = 481). Patients reported visiting the emergency department and hospital ≥5 times for symptoms in 18.3% and 12.5%, respectively. An extreme impact on life was reported by 43.3% (n = 563), and 14.5% were disabled due to disease. Patients reported a high frequency of comorbidities, most commonly mood disorders. Patients were dissatisfied with medical or procedural treatments in 45.9% and 34.6%, respectively.

LIMITATIONS: Data were self-reported. Patients with more severe disease may have been selected.

CONCLUSION: HS patients have identified several critical unmet needs that will require stakeholder collaboration to meaningfully address.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)366-376
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Volume82
Issue number2
Early online date3 Jul 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2020

Keywords

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Hidradenitis Suppurativa/therapy
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Needs Assessment
  • Prospective Studies
  • Young Adult
  • treatment
  • pain
  • acne inversa
  • diagnosis
  • hidradenitis suppurativa
  • Global VOICE
  • comorbid conditions
  • symptoms
  • life impact
  • patient
  • unmet needs
  • care

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