Transcript
Announcer:
You’re listening to DermConsult on ReachMD. On this episode, Dr. Seemal Desai will discuss how we can improve psoriasis care for patients with skin of color. He’s the Past President of the American Academy of Dermatology, a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and the Founder and Medical Director of Innovative Dermatology. Let’s hear from Dr. Desai now.
Dr. Desai:
I think one of the greatest opportunities here is to increase awareness. I want patients and the public to be their own advocates, to really be aware that they are the ones who can be advocating to see a dermatologist, to know about skin disease, to talk about systemic treatments, and to talk about comorbidities.
And I think one of our most important steps in this journey is to also make sure that our patients understand that there are data gaps and that we need people enrolled in clinical trials. We need patients with skin of color to explore being involved in other avenues. And so one of the things that I think we want to continue to embrace is the need for more scientific research and outreach, as well as partnership with organizations like the American Academy of Dermatology, the National Psoriasis Foundation, the Skin of Color Society, and so many more.
One thing that I would like to say is please take photographs of presentations of psoriasis in skin of color. The American Academy of Dermatology has an amazing resource for AAD members called the Online Image Collection Bank. Other organizations as well as scientific journals want to see varying presentations in different skin tones and types, and I think that's so important for us to keep in mind as we look to the next phase in our journey in understanding this disease state better in all skin populations.
Announcer:
That was Dr. Seemal Desai discussing ways to improve psoriasis care for patients with skin of color. To access this and other episodes in our series, visit DermConsult on ReachMD.com, where you can Be Part of the Knowledge. Thanks for listening!
