Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28771503›Full record

Observational studyPloS one2017

Narrowband UVB treatment is highly effective and causes a strong reduction in the use of steroid and other creams in psoriasis patients in clinical practice.

John Foerster, Kirsty Boswell, Jonathan West, Heather Cameron, Colin Fleming, Sally Ibbotson, Robert Dawe

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 28 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Observational
  2. Review
  3. [UV phototherapy : UV phototherapy and photodiagnostics-a practical overview].Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift fur Dermatologie, Venerologie, und verwandte Gebiete · 2021
    Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

John FoersterUniversity of Dundee, Medical School, Dundee, Scotland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8295-1867
Kirsty BoswellUniversity of Dundee, Medical School, Dundee, Scotland.
Jonathan WestUniversity of Dundee, Medical School, Dundee, Scotland.
Heather CameronUniversity of Dundee, Medical School, Dundee, Scotland.
Colin FlemingUniversity of Dundee, Medical School, Dundee, Scotland.
Sally IbbotsonUniversity of Dundee, Medical School, Dundee, Scotland.
Robert DaweUniversity of Dundee, Medical School, Dundee, Scotland.
University of Dundee · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNarrowband NB-UVB phototherapy (NB-UVB) is an effective treatment for psoriasis, as demonstrated by clinical trials. However, due to required infrastructure and need for treatment attendance opinions on the value of offering this treatment in routine practice vary.

aimsTo provide high quality large-scale and long-term data on the efficacy of NB-UVB for psoriasis under real-world conditions in order to assist in management decisions.

methodsThe following resources were employed: (1) complete and prospectively recorded prescription drug records for a population of 420,000 marked by low demographic mobility, (2) prospectively recorded clinical treatment outcomes for all NB-UVB treatment episodes occurring in the local population; (3) complete dermatology electronic treatment records of all psoriasis patients, allowing cross-validation of diagnoses and treatment records. Using these data sets, we analysed all first-ever initial NB-UVB treatment episodes occurring over 79 months (n = 1749) for both clinical outcomes and the effect of NB-UVB on the use of topical treatments for psoriasis.

resultsAround 75% of patients both achieved a status of "clear/minimal disease" and used fewer topical treatments. NB-UVB treatment led to a strong reduction for both steroid creams (25%) and psoriasis-specific topicals, e.g. vitamin-D products (30%) during the 12-month period following NB-UVB treatment. The effects measured were specific as no effect of NB-UVB was noted on drug prescriptions unrelated to psoriasis. Results were independent of individuals administering and/or scoring treatment, as they were highly similar between four geographically separate locations.

conclusionsNB-UVB treatment is highly effective and leads to a remarkable reduction in the need for topical cream treatments for a period of at least 12 months.

Indexed as

Ultraviolet TherapyAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overChildChild, PreschoolDrug PrescriptionsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPsoriasisSkin CreamSteroidsTreatment OutcomeSteroids

Identifiers

PMID28771503
PMCPMC5542593
OpenAlexW2742780659

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.