Recent results from Psoriatic Arthritis In America 2019 survey, a syndicated research study from Health Union, reveal what more than 1,100 people diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) want others to know about their condition experience. This year’s survey results show a population of patients who regularly see a healthcare professional for their PsA (97%), in which 66% perceive their condition as moderate and 23% perceive it as severe.

Not surprisingly, patients who are more severe are more likely to say their PsA has a negative impact on their household finances* compared to those who are mild or moderate. These findings suggest that there’s an important opportunity to facilitate more effective communication about patient support programs and financial assistance options for those living with psoriatic arthritis.

More specifically, 61% of all survey respondents report their PsA negatively impacts their ability to work.* For many people with PsA, the symptoms they deal with on a daily basis, prevent them from doing many of the things they’d like to do, like go to work–which adds yet another layer of difficulty on their household finances. This subset of patients reports a long-lasting, difficult journey: they were more likely to see 10 or more doctors before being diagnosed with PsA and report having more than 10 PsA flares over the past year.

The survey results also reveal that respondents are leveraging their relationship with their HCP to address their financial concerns in addition to regular conversations about medication and side effects that one would expect. For example, of the patient respondents who had ever used a biologic, JAK inhibitor, or small-molecule medication, 65% said they discussed insurance coverage of the medication with their HCP and 61% said they discussed a financial assistance program and co-pay assistance with their HCP. However, less than half of people with psoriatic arthritis whose ability to work is negatively impacted have actually used a financial support program (eg. co-pay assistance, free trial, coupon) to help pay for prescription medication.

Learnings from patient-reported survey data like those from Psoriatic Arthritis In America 2019 can help to better understand the nuances of people living with psoriatic arthritis who could benefit from patient support programs and financial assistance options. One way to build this awareness is through contextually relevant advertising opportunities like those available on Health Union’s portfolio of online health communities like Psoriatic-Arthritis.com, where we meet people where they are and provide them with the support they want.

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