Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa is an inflammatory skin disease that presents a recurrence of painful and suppurating lesions in the apocrine gland-bearing regions, with a strong impact on the patients’ life quality. Despite its peculiar presentation, early forms are often underestimated by patients and this would inevitably result in late diagnosis and delayed therapy. Objectives: Improved communication around the disease could facilitate self-diagnosis and a quicker response from healthcare practitioners, especially in this moment when we dispose of effective treatment against this disease. Methods: A HS awareness campaign was conducted for 2 years with the help of a media agency and a patients’ association. Results: Results confirm that a better communication has a strong impact on the disease awareness. Conclusions: This paper demonstrates that the more this disease awareness is carried on, the more quick, effective and efficient the patient's management could be.
Improving the disease awareness: how a communication campaign brings hidradenitis suppurativa to the light / Ribero S.; Dapavo P.; Casalegno C.; Alaibac M.; Argenziano G.; Arpaia N.G.; Bagnoni G.; Berti E.; Bianchi L.; Bianchini D.; Calzavara Pinton P.; Cannavo S.P.; Congedo M.; Corrao S.; Costanzo A.; Cusano F.; Dattola S.; Dattoli S.; Deledda S.; Donini M.; Fabbrocini G.; Teresa Fierro M.; Foti C.; Galluccio A.G.; Gatti A.; Rene Girardelli C.; Girolomoni G.; Lemme G.; Malagoli P.; Malara G.; Mercuri S.R.; Micali G.; Montesu M.A.; Offidani A.; Papini M.; Parodi A.; Patrizi A.; Pellacani G.; Peris K.; Piccirillo A.; Pigatto P.; Pimpinelli N.; Potenza C.; Provenzano E.; Romanelli M.; Rongioletti F.; Savoia P.; Simonacci M.; Sirna R.; Stinco G.; Valenti G.; Zalaudek I.. - In: JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY AND VENEREOLOGY. - ISSN 0926-9959. - STAMPA. - 33:6(2019), pp. 7-9. [10.1111/jdv.15828]
Improving the disease awareness: how a communication campaign brings hidradenitis suppurativa to the light
Patrizi A.;
2019
Abstract
Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa is an inflammatory skin disease that presents a recurrence of painful and suppurating lesions in the apocrine gland-bearing regions, with a strong impact on the patients’ life quality. Despite its peculiar presentation, early forms are often underestimated by patients and this would inevitably result in late diagnosis and delayed therapy. Objectives: Improved communication around the disease could facilitate self-diagnosis and a quicker response from healthcare practitioners, especially in this moment when we dispose of effective treatment against this disease. Methods: A HS awareness campaign was conducted for 2 years with the help of a media agency and a patients’ association. Results: Results confirm that a better communication has a strong impact on the disease awareness. Conclusions: This paper demonstrates that the more this disease awareness is carried on, the more quick, effective and efficient the patient's management could be.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.