National Psoriasis Foundation’s online research community receives second-year of funding from PCORI

The National Psoriasis Foundation received a second-year of funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for its patient-driven, online research community. This patient-centered research into the causes and effective treatments for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis—chronic, systemic autoimmune diseases that affect millions of Americans—will help bridge the gaps between researchers studying these conditions and the people living with them.

Through an interactive, online community called Citizen Pscientist, the Psoriasis Foundation brings together psoriatic disease patients from around the country to contribute their own disease-related data about triggers, treatments, associated health conditions and more; explore data presented by other patients; and analyze it with visualization tools. Gamification tools such as badges will create a fun, interactive experience. Learn more about Citizen Pscientist and how you can participate: www.citizenpscientist.org.

"As the world's largest organization serving people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, our mission to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and improve the lives of those affected centers on the engagement of patients in the research process," said Michael Siegel, Ph.D., director of research programs at the National Psoriasis Foundation. "Citizen Pscientist allows our organization to bring patients to the table and help us determine our research agenda by letting patients be the subject and the scientist. Their input will help shape the course of research into these conditions."

Building on progress from the initial PCORI contract, this new award enables the National Psoriasis Foundation to gather patient perspective from Citizen Pscientist participants on which treatments are most effective for psoriatic disease. The platform connects patients with seven of the nation's top psoriatic disease researchers who serve as "advisors." The group answers survey questions, views data from the entire community and creates their own hypotheses and questions to share with the researchers studying psoriatic disease.

PCORI is an independent nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010 to fund comparative effectiveness research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence needed to make better-informed health decisions. Learn more about PCORI at www.pcori.org.

Get updated about when Citizen Pscientist launches: www.citizenpscientist.org.