- Monday, January 9, 2023
- IPC GENERAL
- IPC News
In 2022, the IPC advanced in the worldwide psoriasis community, ranging from multiple research efforts, education of dermatologists, and public awareness, reaching the patient communities. In addition to face-to-face events, the IPC has expanded its digital presence.
These developments allow us to better connect with our community worldwide and provide personalized care for individuals with psoriasis.
Here are just some of the significant achievements from the past year.
New Research and Innovations from the IPC
This past year has offered many opportunities for research and development. From individual Councilors and Fellows to working groups and the organization, the knowledge created through our community is changing how we think about, treat, and care for psoriasis globally. Here are just some of the results from this research
New COVID-19 Statement
Following almost three years of research in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IPC Board of Directors has issued an updated statement regarding COVID-19 to assist healthcare providers around the globe in better managing people with psoriasis.
The revised statement is based on expert opinion and should be interpreted in the context of local policies and emerging evidence.
Telemedicine
In 2022, the Telemedicine Working Group formulated 36 statements on telemedicine related to psoriasis. These findings are available in a new article now in the public domain: Telemedicine and psoriasis: A review based on statements of the telemedicine working group of the International Psoriasis Council.
Based on the working group’s discussion and research, they state that — with a few exceptions — teledermatology can be used to effectively manage psoriasis. With this knowledge, we can continue to discuss best practices and challenges to determine how the IPC can support dermatologists in their work.
National Guideline Survey
Last year, a questionnaire was sent to 10,000 contacts to determine which countries have national treatment guidelines for psoriasis.
The responses provided information about 93 countries — highlighting many countries where national guidelines are nonexistent.
To address this need for guidelines in many countries, the IPC is currently pursuing the following interventions:
- Develop an IPC resource center on guidelines.
- Support the development of a national guideline in a region where no guidelines exist.
- Provide guideline development methods via website or symposia.
- Partner with organizations active in guideline development.
We will continue to find opportunities to support efforts across the globe in creating national treatment guidelines for psoriasis and connecting with dermatologists in these regions.
Expanding Our Community
At IPC, our work is made possible only through the contributions of our community members. In 2022, we were excited to see these numbers grow and diversify.
New Councilors
In 2022, one of the IPC’s strategic goals was to expand participation in Africa and Asia. We were honored to add nine new Councilors to our community — six from Asian and African countries.
We are also proud to share a record amount of Councilor involvement for 2022, with 86% of those Councilors participating in at least one activity throughout the year — up 16% from 2021.
New Partnerships
In addition to our growing community of councilors, IPC has also worked to connect with other partner organizations across the globe. One of these partners is the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA).
The IFPA’s mission is to “Unite, strengthen and lead the global psoriatic disease community to improve the lives of all people affected by psoriatic disease.” We are so grateful to partner with them.
This past year, the IPC and IFPA worked together to better understand topics like:
- The recategorization of disease severity
- Telemedicine
- Psoriasis on skin of color
We have also partnered to work on the 2022 World Congress of Dermatology and the Global Psoriasis Atlas.
Educational Update
Education is a key part of pushing our knowledge forward, and last year, the IPC conducted seven congress symposia with over 2,000 participants. We also:
- Held three sessions in our Global Webinar Series, which have been viewed 900 times.
- Hosted four virtual Masterclasses with over 200 participants attending lectures and discussing case studies.
Check out upcoming events for 2023 or watch past events on demand.
In addition to these scheduled events, our councilors have been able to share their expertise and research developments through the Take Ten series, which began in 2021 to provide practical tips for managing psoriasis while dermatologists “take ten” from their busy schedules.
There are currently 41 videos in the Take Ten library, featuring the knowledge of 24 Councilors and Board Members. With over 6000 views in 2022, this series will continue to bring up-to-date information to dermatologists in a digestible format.
A Renewed Focus on Digital Communication
Representing a global network of dermatologists and psoriasis enthusiasts — and in the changing world of the pandemic — we rely more than ever on our digital communication channels to connect with our community.
In 2022, the IPC partnered with the healthcare content strategy agency CareContent to better understand the primary audience, needs, and challenges of the IPC website. Through extensive interviews, audits, and analysis, we found:
- Dermatologists/psoriasis “enthusiasts” should be the primary audience that the website caters to.
- Those dermatologists and psoriasis enthusiasts want to connect with thought leaders.
- They also want to access content in a variety of different formats.
With this information, we:
- Launched a new Editorial Committee to oversee the IPC’s digital content.
- Launched a new website platform for improved user experience.
- Produce fresh content, like quizzes and Expert Insights blog posts, about topics of interest to our community.
If you haven’t spent time looking around the IPC site, there may be new content you’ve never seen before — and something new to learn.
Looking Forward to 2023
In 2023, the IPC will continue to focus on improving psoriasis care by promoting access to care, educational activities, and awareness programs with other organizations.
We will work with Springboard International, a consulting team that provides business advisory services to nonprofits and growing corporations. This project kicked off in December 2022 with discovery interviews to learn more about the IPC and our strategic goals.
We look forward to digging into our strengths and opportunities for growth — and with your help, we can make our strategic vision for the IPC a reality.
Do you have content ideas that you would like for IPC to cover in 2023? Leave a comment below and let us know what topics you want to see on the IPC website in the coming year.
