The everyday challenges faced by people living with PsA and axSpA often remain hidden.1-3
Around half of patients with PsA* and one-third of patients with axSpA** admit telling their rheumatologist they feel ok, even when they are experiencing symptoms.1,3
Despite advances in therapy, many patients living with PsA and axSpA still experience symptoms that impact their quality of life and wellbeing.4-6 These challenges can be difficult for patients to acknowledge and even harder for them to talk about.1,3,7
PsA
axSpA
Click through to uncover Hidden impact
The reality of life with PsA and axSpA isn’t always what it seems
“I always say I am fine when people ask. I mean, who wants to hear the truth?”
— Patient living with axSpA
We say we’re ‘fine’ and coping because we know there’s no real fix.
— Patient living with axSpA
Uncovering the hidden impact and digging deeper into the reasons why patients may hide their symptoms could help close the gap between their lived experiences and HCP understanding of PsA and axSpA.1,8,9
Communication is key to revealing how you can better support your individual patient’s unmet needs. During consultations, asking one more question tailored to your patient’s experiences could reveal new insights into their reality.7
Explore the boxes below for more information that can help you uncover your patient’s true reality
Abbreviations
axSpA, axial spondyloarthritis; HCP, healthcare professional; PsA, psoriatic arthritis.
Footnotes
*45% of patients with PsA (n=960) “strongly” or “somewhat” agreed with the statement: “I often tell my rheumatologist I am fine when I am really experiencing symptoms”. Results from a Harris Poll online patient survey conducted in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, Taiwan, UK and USA. Percentages were calculated based on the weighted population as the denominator.1
**In a mobile survey, patients with axSpA (n=48) were asked to rank on a scale of 1 to 7 (where 1 means strongly disagree and 7 means strongly agree) to what extent they agreed with the statement: “I often tell my doctor I am fine when I am experiencing symptoms”, with ranks 5–7 being classed as agreeing with the statement. 31% of patients agreed with this statement.3
References
1. Lim I, et al. Rheumatol Ther. 2021;8:761–774. 2. Chisholm A, et al. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2016;55(6):1047–1052. 3. UCB Data on file. Fernando et al. 2022. UCB correspondence. 4. Zardin-Moraes M, et al. J Rheumatol. 2020;47(6):839–846. 5. Ørnbjerg LM, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2019;78:1536-1544. 6. Liu V, et al. J Rheumatol. 2021;48(5):677–684. 7. Garrido-Cumbrera M, et al. Rheumatol Ther. 2017;4(2):219–231. 8. Coates LC, et al. Rheumatol Ther. 2021;8(4):1741–1758. 9. Lebwohl M, et al.Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2022;12(1):61–78.
GL-N-DA-RH-2200023
Date of preparation: May 2022
© UCB Biopharma SRL, 2022. All rights reserved.
Intended for healthcare professionals