A text-messaging intervention can improve patient activation and cardiovascular risk behaviors in adults with psoriasis, according to a study published online May 13 in JAMA Dermatology.
Annika Smith, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., from the University of Sydney, and colleagues evaluated the effectiveness of a text-messaging intervention in improving patient activation and cardiovascular risk factors. The analysis included 111 adults with psoriasis randomly assigned to a six-month text-messaging intervention versus standard care. Patients in the intervention group received four semipersonalized text messages per week for 24 weeks. The messages targeted diet, physical activity, smoking cessation, weight management, medication adherence, and cardiovascular and psoriasis education.
The researchers found a statistically significant improvement in patient activation at six months in the intervention arm versus the usual care arm (adjusted mean difference, 10.8 points). There were also statistically significant improvements seen in Mediterranean diet adherence (adjusted mean difference, 1.7), medication adherence (adjusted mean difference, 1.6), and psoriasis-CVD knowledge (adjusted mean difference, 6.6). There was an increase in minutes per week of physical activity (adjusted mean difference, 127.9), while body mass index decreased (adjusted mean difference, −1.0). The groups were similar with respect to lipid parameters, hemoglobin A1c, smoking behavior, dermatology-specific quality of life, and psoriasis severity.
