Measuring empowerment in patients with psoriasis: the psoriasis empowerment enquiry in the routine practice (PEER) questionnaire

While empowerment is an outcome pursued by advocacy groups and health care providers, no data are yet available about empowerment in patients with psoriasis in the literature. Our aim was to develop a tool for measuring levels of empowerment in psoriatic patients, and to assess its validity and reliability. A cross-sectional study among outpatients with psoriasis was carried out. Principal component analysis was performed to validate the questionnaire and to measure any associations with demographic and clinical data. The 12-item questionnaire (Psoriasis Empowerment Enquiry in the Routine practice, or PEER) showed acceptable consistency and reliability, and three distinct and interpretable factors have been identified: Knowledge, Experience, Skills. Patients older than 44 years and patients with psoriasis for more than one year showed statistically significantly higher levels of empowerment. Neither educational level nor the number of consultations influenced the global empowerment score (GES). A link between GES and prescribed therapy was found, suggesting that patients receiving systemic drugs have better knowledge, more insight and superior skills to manage their psoriasis. We conclude that PEER is an appropriate tool to assess empowerment among patients with psoriasis and may be used to evaluate the efficacy of educational interventions. Further studies are needed to assess its convergent validity and to improve its reliability.