Papers of the Week

Itch is a common symptom of dermatologic diseases associated with significant impairment of health-related quality of life (QoL). This study reveals disparities in itch symptom experience and itch impact on QoL. A retrospective study of patient-reported outcome measure (PRO) data (ItchyQoL, Itch NRS, Pain Interference, Anxiety) for 387 outpatient dermatology visits to characterize the impact of itch on patients’ QoL and itch symptom experience based on skin color in patients with dermatologic disease. Most patients were Caucasian females (67%) with mean age of 48 years. Correlative analyses showed mild itch associated with emotional impacts on QoL (p < 0.01), while severe itch associated with functional and emotional impacts on QoL (p < 0.01). African American (AA) patients reported more “severe-range” answers for 15 (68%) ItchyQoL items and had higher ItchyQoL mean scores (p = 0.001). ItchyQoL demonstrated an emotional impact on QoL by mild itch, but a functional and emotional impact on QoL by severe itch. Further, AAs suffered from greater itch-related impairment in QoL than Caucasian patients, especially due to scarring and sleeplessness.