BACKGROUND: Medication adherence and compliance are essential for disease management and can significantly improve outcomes and quality of patient care. The literature suggests that up to 40% of patients do not use their medication as intended. OBJECTIVE: To elucidate current knowledge on adherence/compliance in psoriasis. In particular, methods of adherence/compliance evaluation and influencing factors were to be identified. METHODS: Systematic literature review based on a protocol-rooted search in online databases, followed by a structured critical appraisal and consecutive descriptive report. RESULTS: Thirty-five original publications on adherence/compliance in psoriasis were identified, addressing the extent and quality of adherence/compliance in topical, systemic and UV treatments. Estimates of compliance varied considerably between 27 and 97%. Age, sex, psychosocial, disease-specific and treatment-specific factors were identified as predictors of adherence/compliance. CONCLUSION: A better understanding of the determinants of adherence can improve the outcomes of psoriasis treatment and lead to higher patient satisfaction and quality of care.
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