Sustained improvement of the quality of life of patients with psoriasis after hospitalization.

Psoriasis is a chronic, recurrent, and often disfiguring skin disease that may significantly affect patients' quality of life. Treatment of psoriasis, including hospitalization, has been shown to improve quality of life. A pilot study of 15 consecutive inpatients and 7 consecutive outpatients with psoriasis were asked to complete the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) before treatment and 3 months later. Hospitalized patients also completed the DLQI 1 week after discharge. Statistical analysis using t tests compared pretreatment and posttreatment DLQI scores as well as improvement of inpatients versus outpatients. Baseline DLQI scores for hospitalized patients were significantly higher (greater impairment of life quality) compared with oupatients' quality of life. After discharge, hospitalized patients' quality of life had significantly improved at 1 week and remained improved at 3 months.