Assessment
Your healthcare team may measure the impact of your psoriasis on your life. To do this they may ask you to fill in a questionnaire called the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) which measures, through ten questions, the impact psoriasis has had on your life physically, emotionally, socially and sexually during the past week. This helps your healthcare team to measure how well you are feeling and, if you have started treatment, how well it is working.
Another type of assessment your healthcare team may use is the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) which is used to assess the severity of your psoriasis by assessing the redness, thickness, and scaliness of your skin lesions as well as how much of your skin is affected by psoriasis.
The best way to control your symptoms is to use the treatment as you have been prescribed it and to keep in touch with your healthcare team about how your symptoms are responding to therapy.
Don’t feel embarrassed to ask questions and don’t be afraid to share your worries or concerns about your condition with your healthcare team.
Questions to ask your healthcare team might include:
- What treatments are available?
- Why have you chosen this particular treatment?
- How long will the treatment take to work?
- What are the side-effects of this treatment?