Psoriasis treatment and a day-care centre: Clinical aspects and an attempt at a cost-benefit analysis

Abstract

The practical results of day-care centre treatment of psoriasis have been studied. Patients referred to the centre are generally those where the skin disease covers substantial body areas. The main treatment has been UVB. UVB plus dithranol or PUVA has been used on patients who have failed to respond to UVB alone. With UVB therapy alone, 263/328 patients healed with a median healing time of 8 weeks, and 9 weeks to relapse. 34/60 patients with a previously poor response to UVB healed on UVB plus dithranol. Median time to healing was 8 weeks and time to relapse, 12 weeks. 24 patients were treated with PUVA, as they had had a poor earlier response to UVB. All healed with a median time to healing of 12 weeks and 25 weeks to relapse. 3.3% of the patients fit for work have at some time during the treatment been off work due to their psoriasis. The cost for this type of treatment is about one-fifteenth of the cost of treatment on a hospital ward.