Press Room / News Release Archive
Please note that due to a change in management companies, the contact information found in all press releases prior to January 1, 2008 are no longer applicable.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2004
Dermatology Nursing News Briefs
New Column Shows Patient's Perspective
Health care professionals strive to understand what patients go through with their dermatologic diseases, but they may not ask the patient, "What is it like living with this condition?" Dermatology Nursing journal addresses this question with its new series, "Patients' Perspectives: Living With..."
Debuting in the October issue of the journal, the series offers a patient's perspective on living with a specific skin disease. It gives insight into how the disease affects the patient's life and relationships with others. Patients submit answers to questions such as:
- How has your condition affected your life, physically and emotionally?
- What would you like health care providers to know about treating people with your condition?
- What do you wish society knew about your condition?
- What would you tell other people who are newly diagnosed with this condition?
"With all the studies looking at quality of life issues for patients with skin disease, maybe it's time we heard the patient's perspective," said Marcia J. Hill, MSN, RN, Editor. "I believe these valuable insights will provide important information to help dermatology nurses better care for their patients."
Patients interested in sharing their experiences with the dermatology nursing community can contact Lori Ann Tornatore, Editorial Assistant, at tornatol@ajj.com for a complete list of questions and submission details.
Patient Shares Feelings About Living with Hidradenitis Suppurative
Dermatology nurses and other health care professionals may sometimes fail to appreciate and recognize the physical and emotional challenges faced by patients with a particular chronic dermatologic disease or condition. In the October issue of Dermatology Nursing, Shari Tosk Solarski shows readers how hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) has affected her life in the journal's new series "Patients' Perspectives: Living With..."
HS is characterized by recurrent boils or cysts on various parts of the body. At times, the disease has totally immobilized Solarski, making her unable to function and perform even the simplest tasks. She said that HS been devastating, making her at times totally dependent on others, and that she would like to see more dermatologists recognize the symptoms and diagnose the disease correctly.
Solarski found support in the organization, HS-USA, Inc. (www.hs-usa.org), and connected with fellow sufferers. She is a New Jersey contact person for the organization, and leads the New Jersey Hidradenitis Support Group.
This personal testimony stresses that it is important for dermatology nurses and other health care providers to recognize the emotional challenges that patients face, and strive to understand the disease from a patient's perspective. (Shari Tosk Solarksi, MA, BS, Living With Hidradenitis Suppurativa, October 2004, Dermatology Nursing, www.dermatologynursing.net)
Treatment Options for Hyperpigmentation Disorders
The visible nature of hyperpigmentation disorders has a considerable psychological effect on patients. Many therapeutic options exist, but treatment is often difficult and requires lengthy therapy. In the October 2003 issue of Dermatology Nursing, Kimberly A. Cayce, MD, and co-authors describe common hyperpigmentation disorders and recommend treatment options for each.
The many therapeutic options call for well-organized, low-risk treatment regimens including topical depigmenting agents, chemical peels, cryosurgery, dermabrasion, and pigment-specific lasers. It is extremely important in all cases that patients use sunscreen and minimize ultraviolet exposure.
Patient education is essential for successful treatment, according to the authors. They also recommend educating patients that in most hyperpigmentation cases, treatment may take an extended period of time. (Kimberly A. Cayce, MD, Amy McMichael, MD, Steven R. Feldman, PhD, MD, Hyperpigmentation: An Overview of the Common Afflictions, October 2004, Dermatology Nursing, www.dermatologynursing.net)
Study Compares Costs of Psoriasis Therapies
Psoriasis can be a devastating disease and affects individuals not only physically and psychosocially, but financially. In the October 2004 issue of Dermatology Nursing, Daniel J. Pearce, MD, and co-authors compare the cost and complexity of different psoriasis treatment regimens.
The authors found that medication prices vary considerably, from relatively inexpensive topical corticosteroids to more costly biologic therapies. Prices range from $78.60 a month for corticosteroids to $1,300 a month for biologic therapies.
Many considerations must go into selecting the right therapy, according to the authors, and a comprehensive approach that weighs the cost to the patient will optimize care. (Daniel J. Pearce, MD, Crystal G. Thomas, Alan B. Fleischer, Jr., MD, Steven R. Feldman, PhD, MD, The Cost of Psoriasis Therapies: Considerations for Therapy Selection, October 2004, Dermatology Nursing, www.dermatologynursing.net)
###
Dermatology Nursing is the official journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association (DNA). The journal is nursing's premier skin care resource and contains state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed articles on all aspects of skin and wound care.