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Unmet medical needs for chronic spontaneous urticaria patients: highlighting the real‐life clinical practice in Taiwan
Author(s) -
Cho Y.T.,
Pao Y.C.,
Chu C.Y.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of the european academy of dermatology and venereology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1468-3083
pISSN - 0926-9959
DOI - 10.1111/jdv.13357
Subject(s) - medicine , observational study , clinical practice , disease , cross sectional study , family medicine , pathology
Background Treatment guidelines for chronic spontaneous/idiopathic urticaria ( CSU ) are available; however, only 50% of patients are well controlled with approved doses of H 1 ‐antihistamines, and certain patients remain symptomatic despite receiving up to 4× the approved dose of H 1 ‐antihistamines plus H 2 ‐antihistamines and/or leucotriene‐receptor antagonists. Objectives To highlight real‐life clinical practice in Taiwan and to understand the unmet medical needs of CSU patients. Methods A nationwide cross‐sectional, observational survey of 50 dermatologists and 200 CSU patients was conducted between June 2013 and November 2013. Face‐to‐face interviews of dermatologists and online interviews of CSU patients were conducted independently. Results Dermatologists reported that dermographism and blood tests were the most commonly used diagnostic methods to confirm the diagnosis. The key driving factor for most clinic‐based dermatologists (70%) in choosing a treatment was ‘response to my medicines’, and most preferred H 1 ‐antihistamines and steroids for treating CSU patients, whereas most hospital‐based dermatologists (85%) gave higher priority to ‘severity and impact of the conditions’. Patients were reported to have high psychological pressures and significant impact of CSU on their daily activity. In addition, CSU patients were not satisfied with their current treatment and 69% of patients switched their first‐consulted physician. Furthermore, lack of information and concerns about side‐effects were major factors which held back patients from seeking Western treatment. Conclusions There is an unmet medical need of CSU patients in Taiwan highlighting gaps among guidelines, real‐life clinical practice, patients' perceptions and patients' knowledge of their disease.