Quality of Life and Body Image in Skin Diseases

Abstract

Skin diseases affect patients’ life quality in a various aspect of their life. Pruritus and appearance, which affect patients’ body image, are serious problems that influence patients’ life quality. To estimate the quality of life and body image of dermatology patients, a variety of questionnaires have been developed including those for family members of the patients and children suffering from skin diseases.

There have been many studies about the impact of skin diseases on patients’ quality of life. In addition, quality of life is becoming a marker of patients’ outcome in interventional studies of medical treatment. Researchers should consider clinically significant changes of patients’ life quality. Recently QALY has been applied to evaluate the cost effectiveness of medical treatment for skin diseases.