Scratching the Surface: Surveys Identify Educational Gap in Psoriasis for NPs and PAs

STAMFORD, CT, November 12, 2010 (Press-News.org) Scratching the Surface: Surveys Identify Educational Gap in Psoriasis for NPs and PAs

Clinical gap surveys conducted by PCE and NPF have shown that the disease burden of psoriasis is high and many NPs and PAs want and need continuing education about traditional and new ways to treat patients with psoriasis.

NATIONAL PSORIASIS FOUNDATION PARTNERS WITH PRACTICING CLINICIANS EXCHANGE TO EDUCATE NPs AND PAs
Practicing Clinicians Exchange (PCE) has formed a partnership with the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF). The collaboration brings to PCE the resources of the world's largest nonprofit patient advocacy organization dedicated to psoriasis research and education. It also gives NPF access to tens of thousands of NPs and PAs through PCE educational activities. Most of all, patients suffering with psoriasis will benefit from well-educated clinicians who are aware of optimal management with emerging therapies.

Clinical gap surveys conducted by PCE and NPF have shown that the disease burden of psoriasis is high and many NPs and PAs want and need continuing education about traditional and new ways to treat patients with psoriasis. An NPF survey of patients revealed the tremendous morbidity associated with psoriasis. Patients ranked the physical and mental impairment of psoriasis worse than that of diabetes, heart attack, or cancer. Surveys also show that clinical practice patterns are not keeping pace with psoriasis research and the disease remains undertreated. According to Randy Beranek, president and CEO of NPF, NPs and PAs are critical providers of patient-centered care who need to know the newest treatment options for their patients with psoriasis.

A 2009 PCE survey of NPs and PAs found that more than 80% of NPs and PAs regularly treated patients with psoriasis but did not feel they were competent tailoring treatment to individual patients or in using the newer biologic agents that have recently become available for moderate or severe disease.

EDUCATION RAISES AWARENESS FOR PSORIASIS MANAGEMENT
This year, in response to an identified need, PCE created CME/CE programs on psoriasis as part of its national symposia series and home study activities. More than 1500 NPs and PAs attended the live PCE 2010 Symposia Series 1. Outcomes results demonstrated that participants had statistically significant increases in their knowledge of and competence in managing patients with psoriasis after attending the symposia.
Two months after the conclusion of Symposia Series 1, nearly two-thirds of attendees said they were better able to diagnose and treat patients with psoriasis, as well as apply concepts learned at the symposia to their practice.

This news brief is brought to you by Practicing Clinicians Exchange, the national leader in education exclusively for nurse practitioners and physician assistants. For more information on our national initiatives, visit http://www.practicingclinicians.com.

For information on supporting PCE educational activities please contact:

Eric VanStone
Vice President, CME Programming
c 203.258.5515
f 203.487.0406
evanstone@practicingclinicians.com

Patrick Ruddy
Director, CME Programming
p 203.316.2114
f 203.487.0406
pruddy@practicingclinicians.com

Practicing Clinicians Exchange (PCE) is an innovative national education initiative designed specifically for nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). PCE's premier series of live, national CE/CME symposia and other educational activities revolve around the challenges NPs and PAs face most often in clinical practice.