PCE, NPF form partnership to provide education programs on psoriasis

Practicing Clinicians Exchange (PCE) has formed a partnership with the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) to provide continuing education programs to nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) throughout the United States.

“PCE has the unique capability to develop educational content specifically for NPs and PAs who are at the front lines of patient care. Providing education about psoriasis to will better prepare these clinicians to develop the treatment strategies that ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes”

This partnership capitalizes on the strengths of both organizations. The NPF is the world's largest nonprofit patient advocacy organization dedicated to psoriasis research and education, and PCE is the national leader in providing continuing education focused solely on the needs of NPs and PAs.

Educating primary care clinicians about psoriasis is more important than ever before. Despite the availability of new treatments, psoriasis remains a greatly misunderstood and undertreated disease that affects an estimated 7.5 million Americans. Treating psoriasis is often difficult because presentations of the disease can affect almost every part of the body and vary widely among patients. In a survey conducted by the NPF, patients ranked impairment of physical and mental functioning caused by psoriasis as worse than that caused by type 2 diabetes, myocardial infarction, or cancer. The annual costs of psoriasis are estimated as high as $1.6 billion to $3.2 billion for healthcare and 56 million hours in lost productivity. With no cure for psoriasis and an average age of onset in the late 20s, patients can struggle for decades without finding consistently effective treatments.

"We're excited to be working with PCE to educate this growing segment of healthcare practitioners," said Randy Beranek, President and CEO of NPF. "From recent surveys, we know that clinical practice patterns are not keeping pace with psoriasis research and the disease remains undertreated. NPs and PAs are critical providers of patient-centered care who need to know the newest treatment options for their patients with psoriasis."

NPs and PAs are emerging as cost-effective solutions to the nation's healthcare crisis, resulting from an aging population, fewer physicians in primary care, and the imminent arrival of 32 million newly insured Americans. The new healthcare reform legislation recognizes the expanded role of NPs and PAs and their increasing need for education.

"PCE has the unique capability to develop educational content specifically for NPs and PAs who are at the front lines of patient care. Providing education about psoriasis to will better prepare these clinicians to develop the treatment strategies that ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes," said Lakshi M. Aldredge, MSN, RN, ANP-C, a member of the Board of Directors for the Dermatology Nurses Association and frequent PCE faculty member.

"PCE seeks out partnerships with leading national organizations like NPF that share a vision to enhance the continuing education of NPs and PAs," said Bradley Mock of PCE. "The NPF's advocacy for research has changed the way we view treating psoriasis today. Together, it is our mission to educate the country's growing ranks of NPs and PAs who are currently a vital part of both the healthcare team and the solution to our nation's healthcare crisis. We are confident that this partnership will produce tangible improvements not only in the knowledge and confidence of primary care clinicians, but in improving the quality of life for patients with psoriasis."