Visit Adherence of Mild to Moderate Psoriasis Patients: A Mobile-Based Randomized Study

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to prospectively evaluate the visit adherence in mild to moderate psoriasis patients. METHODS: Plaque psoriasis patients aged 18 or above who were prescribed with a two-component formula ointment were eligible for the study. The patients were randomly assigned to group A or B, and received management with or without planned patient-doctor communication via a mobile platform. The outpatient visit was scheduled at week 2, 8, 16, 28, 48, and 52. Visit adherence was evaluated as the visit rate of the patients. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-one patients were included. Generally, the visit adherence dropped over time during follow-up. The visit rates in group A were 5.2–15.7% through the 52 weeks, and similar rates were found in group B (7.5–17.0%, vs group A, P > 0.05). A negative binomial regression model showed that older age and higher BSA were correlated with more frequent visits. CONCLUSION: The visit adherence of mild to moderate psoriasis patients was very low in China. Proactive inquiries of the doctors via the mobile platform failed to improve the visit adherence of the patients.