The National Psoriasis Foundation Psoriasis Score (NPF-PS) System versus the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) and Physicians’s Global Assessment (PGA)

June 2003 | Volume 2 | Issue 3 | Original Article | 260 | Copyright © June 2003


Alice B. Gottlieb, MD, PhD; Umesh Chaudhari; Daniel G. Baker, MD; Michelle Perate, MS and Lisa T. Dooley, DrPH

Abstract
The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and Physician Global Assessment (PGA) are commonly used, but fail to measure quality of life and the patient’s perception of well-being. In response to these limitations, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) Medical Advisory Board has developed the NPF Psoriasis Score (NPF-PS). This article evaluates the degree of concordance between NPF-PS, PASI, and PGA scores via an investigator-initiated, single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of thirty-three patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

Our results indicated that NPF-PS was strongly correlated with PASI and PGA in this study, while better reflecting patient perception. This is the first report of a double-blind placebo-controlled study demonstrating this concordance.