Jerry Bagel: Approaching Psoriasis Treatment Based on Location

As with many conditions, the kind of care a patient receives can depend on where they live. This can be especially true for dermatology patients needing things like phototherapy. Other factors, like cost and fear, can also impede the treatment process.

Jerry Bagel, MD, of the Psoriasis Treatment Center of Central New Jersey, said that in the case of phototherapy, many practitioners have been working with that therapy for more than 55 years. “Where you get into trouble is where you dabble,” Bagel said, adding that it takes multiple patients for the doctor to see how the treatment is or isn’t working. Awareness, patients finding the right physicians, and insurance companies’ rates and deductibles, are all impacting treatment, he said.

Some pharmaceutical companies offer assistance with payment plans, or offer clinical trials. But finding the real data from your physician, who can transparently give it, is important, versus the patient exploring the internet and finding misinformation instead.