Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory condition that causes rapid skin cell production, leading to scaling on the skin’s surface. It's characterized by red, inflamed patches covered with silvery-white scales, and the skin typically appears dry, cracked, and can be itchy or painful. Psoriasis patients often face significant delays in diagnosis and treatment, leading to worsened physical and psychological outcomes. These delays are largely driven by social stigma, the use of traditional remedies, and a lack of awareness about the chronic nature of psoriasis and its associated comorbidities, such as psoriatic arthritis. Many patients, particularly in regions with low psoriasis awareness, feel embarrassed by visible lesions, leading to social isolation and reliance on ineffective home treatments. Economic hardships also play a major role, as expensive treatments and limited access to healthcare facilities prevent timely intervention. Additionally, healthcare delivery issues, especially in peripheral areas like Sri Lanka, further exacerbate these challenges, with barriers such as transport difficulties, inadequate referral systems, clinic overcrowding, and long waiting times. Together, these factors emphasize the need for increased awareness, improved healthcare access, and addressing socioeconomic barriers to ensure timely and effective psoriasis treatment. Early intervention in psoriasis management offers numerous benefits, including slowing disease progression, preventing complications, improving psychological well-being, and increasing treatment adherence. With advancements in treatments such as biologics and systemic therapies, early detection and management are crucial to transforming psoriasis into a more manageable condition, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes. However, in Sri Lanka, access to timely dermatological care is hindered by limited-service availability in rural areas, transportation difficulties, inefficient referral systems, and clinic overcrowding. Addressing these service delivery challenges is essential to ensuring equitable healthcare access and improving outcomes for psoriasis patients..
2024-07-01.
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