There’s a gap in dermatology that most people outside the field never hear about. If you have psoriasis, alopecia areata, hidradenitis suppurativa or atopic dermatitis, there are prescription therapies, biologics among them, that work well for a lot of patients. And yet plenty of the people who’d qualify for those therapies never end up on them.
Why? That’s what the American Academy of Dermatology wants to find out. The AAD is running a research study to identify the common barriers that keep these advanced therapeutics from being prescribed, and to work out how to get past them. The goal on paper is better patient access, clearer communication between you and your doctor, and treatment decisions you make together rather than decisions handed to you.
University Park Dermatology is one of the practices taking part. Dr. Leah Cohen shared the news on our Instagram last week, and we’re glad to be part of it. It also makes UPDerm part of a dermatology research study right here in Sarasota, which doesn’t happen every day.
What it means if you’re a patient here
If you’ve been diagnosed with one of those four conditions, Dr. Cohen is asking you to schedule a follow-up with her. She’ll go over where you are with your current treatment and talk through how this research may benefit you, and how it may help patients well beyond our offices. You don’t need to walk in with a treatment in mind. You don’t need to have decided anything. It’s a conversation.
We can’t lay out every detail of the study in a blog post, and some of it we’ll only be able to share as things move along. What we can say is why the practice said yes: it’s a chance to help our own patients get the best therapies available, and what’s learned here goes back to dermatologists everywhere.
To book a follow-up with Dr. Cohen, call +1 941-360-2477 or schedule online at https://upderm.com/. Mention the AAD study when you call so the front desk knows what the visit is for.
