Browsing by Author "Merola, Joseph F."

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    National Psoriasis Foundation COVID-19 Task Force Guidance for Management of Psoriatic Disease During the Pandemic: Version 1
    (Elsevier, 2020) Gelfand, Joel M.; Armstrong, April W.; Bell, Stacie; Anesi, George L.; Blauvelt, Andrew; Calabrese, Cassandra; Dommasch, Erica D.; Feldman, Steve R.; Gladman, Dafna; Kircik, Leon; Lebwohl, Mark; Lo Re, Vincent, III; Martin, George; Merola, Joseph F.; Scher, Jose U.; Schwartzman, Sergio; Treat, James R.; Van Voorhees, Abby S.; Ellebrecht, Christoph T.; Fenner, Justine; Ocon, Anthony; Syed, Maha N.; Weinstein, Erica J.; Smith, Jessica; Gondo, George; Heydon, Sue; Koons, Samantha; Ritchlin, Christopher T.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Objective To provide guidance about management of psoriatic disease during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Study design A task force (TF) of 18 physician voting members with expertise in dermatology, rheumatology, epidemiology, infectious diseases, and critical care was convened. The TF was supplemented by nonvoting members, which included fellows and National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) staff. Clinical questions relevant to the psoriatic disease community were informed by questions received by the NPF. A Delphi process was conducted. Results The TF approved 22 guidance statements. The average of the votes was within the category of agreement for all statements. All guidance statements proposed were recommended, 9 with high consensus and 13 with moderate consensus. Limitations The evidence behind many guidance statements is limited in quality. Conclusion These statements provide guidance for the management of patients with psoriatic disease on topics ranging from how the disease and its treatments impact COVID-19 risk and outcome, how medical care can be optimized during the pandemic, what patients should do to lower their risk of getting infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and what they should do if they develop COVID-19. The guidance is intended to be a living document that will be updated by the TF as data emerge.
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    National Psoriasis Foundation COVID-19 Task Force guidance for management of psoriatic disease during the pandemic: Version 2—Advances in psoriatic disease management, COVID-19 vaccines, and COVID-19 treatments
    (Elsevier, 2021-05) Gelfand, Joel M.; Armstrong, April W.; Bell, Stacie; Anesi, George L.; Blauvelt, Andrew; Calabrese, Cassandra; Dommasch, Erica D.; Feldman, Steven R.; Gladman, Dafna; Kircik, Leon; Lebwohl, Mark; Lo Re, Vincent, III; Martin, George; Merola, Joseph F.; Scher, Jose U.; Schwartzman, Sergio; Treat, James R.; Van Voorhees, Abby S.; Ellebrecht, Christoph T.; Fenner, Justine; Ocon, Anthony; Syed, Maha N.; Weinstein, Erica J.; Gondo, George; Heydon, Sue; Koons, Samantha; Ritchlin, Christopher T.; Dermatology, School of Medicine
    Objective To update guidance regarding the management of psoriatic disease during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study Design The task force (TF) includes 18 physician voting members with expertise in dermatology, rheumatology, epidemiology, infectious diseases, and critical care. The TF was supplemented by nonvoting members, which included fellows and National Psoriasis Foundation staff. Clinical questions relevant to the psoriatic disease community were informed by inquiries received by the National Psoriasis Foundation. A Delphi process was conducted. Results The TF updated evidence for the original 22 statements and added 5 new recommendations. The average of the votes was within the category of agreement for all statements, 13 with high consensus and 14 with moderate consensus. Limitations The evidence behind many guidance statements is variable in quality and/or quantity. Conclusions These statements provide guidance for the treatment of patients with psoriatic disease on topics including how the disease and its treatments affect COVID-19 risk, how medical care can be optimized during the pandemic, what patients should do to lower their risk of getting infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (including novel vaccination), and what they should do if they develop COVID-19. The guidance is a living document that is continuously updated by the TF as data emerge.
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    Vaccine considerations for adult dermatology patients on immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies: a clinical review
    (University of California, 2021-09-09) Tan, Alice J.; Streicher, Jenna L.; Merola, Joseph F.; Noe, Megan H.; Dermatology, School of Medicine
    Adults with chronic inflammatory skin disease are at increased risk of vaccine-preventable illnesses and infections, likely because of the underlying disease itself and also their treatment with immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory medications. Despite the association between these agents and increased susceptibility to infection, vaccination rates in dermatology patients remain low. Although preventative care such as vaccinations is typically managed by primary care providers, dermatologists serve a critical role in spreading awareness of the specific risks of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory agents and promoting understanding of individualized vaccine recommendations. In this review, we provide evidence-based information on vaccine recommendations for adult dermatology patients, specific to age and medication use.