Before your treatment
Before attending your appointment, think about what you expect from the treatment and how you can discuss this with your dermatologist.
Write down, what effect psoriasis has on your life over the course of one day, one week, one month or one year. This need not be only physical symptoms; you may also discuss all effects on your mood or your behaviour.
During treatment, note down any questions that you would like to ask your dermatologist.
Your dermatologist can help you to express difficulties in your daily life or to recommend adjustments to your treatment, if necessary.
Your aims and expectations
You should think about these issues before the appointment with your dermatologist. Think about your personal aims and your expectations — Would you like to treat your symptoms fully, or are you happy with just a reduction of the psoriasis symptoms in the visible areas, for example on the hands or in the face? Think about how your dermatologist can help you to achieve these aims — Ideally, the treatment of your psoriasis is a process in partnership between you as the patient and your dermatologist.
Before your treatment
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Think about what you expect from the treatment and how you can discuss this with your dermatologist.
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Write down, what effect psoriasis has on your life over the course of one day, one week, one month or one year.
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During your treatment, note down any questions that you would like to ask your dermatologist.
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Your dermatologist can help you to express difficulties in your daily life or recommend adjustments to your treatment, if necessary.
During your treatment
Try to talk about your disease and your mood as openly and honestly as possible during your treatment. Try to keep an open mind to new forms of therapy.
Advances in dermatology research mean that nowadays there are many more options than in the past.
Note down your own expectations for the treatment outcome and do not be afraid to ask questions.
The discussion with your dermatologist can be very enlightening, if you are calm
- If you are not able to follow the conversation, please ask your dermatologists to speak more slowly and in a manner that is generally understood, and, if necessary to repeat what has been said. You can also ask for written information, so that you may revisit this information at home in peace.
- Please bring a notebook and a pen to take notes.
- If you think it helpful, please ask a friend or a relative to accompany you for moral support. If you are uncertain about any point during the discussion with your dermatologist, please ask about this straightaway to get an immediate answer
- This is particularly important, if your dermatologist prescribes new treatments that are not known to you, to ensure that you use them correctly.
Psoriasis often requires a long-term or continuous treatment — therefore, please ask your dermatologist straightaway for follow-up appointments to discuss your treatment progress.
During your treatment
- Try to talk about your disease and your mood as openly and honestly as possible during your treatment. Try to keep an open mind to new forms of therapy.
- Advances in dermatology research mean that nowadays there are many more options than in the past.
- Note down your own expectations for the treatment outcome and do not be afraid to ask questions.
Your current treatment and your treatment history
Please bring all medications that you are using to the discussion with your dermatologist — If your general practitioner has already prescribed to you a series of medications for treating the psoriasis, please contact the practice and ask for a list of the existing medication. This helps your dermatologist to rule out all those treatment options that have not been successful in the past.
Think about whether the medication can be used as prescribed, or whether there are problems with this
- For example, how easy is it to apply creams in hard to reach places on the back? Does that sometimes cause you to forget to apply the cream?
After your appointment
Do not lose sight of your goal even after your appointment!
Plan for a follow-up appointment, to discuss your progress.
Please keep an eye on your progress, including the improvements in your symptoms, your mood and your daily life.
Please take the positive momentum from your appointment home with you!
Continue to monitor the symptoms of your psoriasis, your mood and your daily life
- In this way, you will provide yourself and your dermatologist with good insight to the success of the treatment and any adjustments that are needed that are best discussed jointly.
After your appointment
- Do not lose sight of your aim even after your appointment!
- Plan for a follow-up appointment to discuss your progress.
- Please keep an eye on your progress, including improvements in your symptoms, your mood and your daily life.
Your current experiences
Write a list to record how the psoriasis manifests itself over the course of a day, a week or a year
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This may be physical symptoms, your personal mood or effects in the context of daily activities.
Please note, ideally daily or weekly, when the symptoms are strongest, and what effect this has on your life and your mood
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In this way, you can summarise the most important and/or regularly recurring moments, in order to advise them to your dermatologist.
Please take photos of the areas of your psoriasis that are most obvious, or that you are particularly concerned about
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Specifically in psoriasis, symptoms that flare up, i.e. symptoms that appear and disappear quickly; photos can be helpful, so that your dermatologist can gain as full a picture of your disease as possible, even at the first appointment.
STAY OPTIMISTIC!
It is important to maintain a positive attitude, even if you are faced with a difficult situation. Optimism can have a positive effect on the health-related quality of your life.
You are the expert when it comes to your life and your experience with psoriasis — and it's up to you to pursue this, to ask questions and to get the responses that you need.
That's how you can achieve it: Gather sufficient information about your condition, in order to appear confident and well-informed in all discussions. Remain open and honest around the subject of psoriasis and remember how the disease affects your mood and your daily life. Set goals, discuss your expectations with your dermatologist and agree on therapeutic goals before starting new treatments.