Although its exact cause has not been definitively determined, psoriasis is generally understood to be a chronic immune condition of the skin that can cause itchy, painful, even debilitating, plaques to form over any part of the body. This includes the hands, feet and face, which can make daily activities or even walking excruciating. In addition to the physical effects, the unattractive plaques can have extremely detrimental effects on a patient’s mental well-being and quality of life, to the point where some patients require counseling or even treatment for depressive symptoms. Management of more severe cases of psoriasis can be extremely successful through the use of TNF-α blockers, and there is increasing evidence suggesting biologic therapies may also play a role. For some patients, psoriasis may be a precursor to psoriatic arthritis, which combines red, silvery skin lesions with pain, stiffness, or swelling in joints, and affects approximately 1 million Americans. Early intervention has been shown to reduce the rate of progression of psoriatic arthritis, making early diagnosis and treatment critical.

At the conclusion of this activity participants should be able to:

• Diagnose and classify psoriasis early in order to implement the appropriate treatment that will improve patient outcomes.
• Utilize available methodologies to assist in the diagnosis of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
• Incorporate counseling and active engagement with patients to more effectively promote adherence to therapy.
• Individualize therapy based on patients’ needs and with consideration of the evidence for adherence among different therapies.
• Apply guideline recommendations into practice for pre-treatment screening, appropriate treatment initiation, and necessary treatment modification and/or escalation to achieve optimal outcomes.
• Utilize the most current data on safety, efficacy, and comparative effectiveness of available therapeutic options for better clinical decision making and individualized patient care.

This program is designed for dermatologists, dermatology nurse practioners, dermatology physician assistants, rheumatologists, primary care physicians and other healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of patients with psoriasis.

To register, please visit http://www.psoriasiscme.com or give us a call at 855-276-6855.

Accreditation

Vindico Medical Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation

Vindico Medical Education designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This enduring material was reaccredited on June 19, 2014 for an additional year, and now expires on June 19, 2015.

How To Participate in this Activity and Obtain CME Credit

To participate in this CME activity, you must read the objectives, answer all the questions, read the answer rationales, and complete the evaluation. Provide only one (1) correct answer for each question. A satisfactory score is defined as answering 70% of the questions correctly. Upon receipt of the completed materials, if a satisfactory score on the posttest is achieved, Vindico Medical Education will issue an AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ Certificate.