Suboptimal treatment adherence among those with dermatologic diseases, as well as other diseases, is an inadequately addressed problem in healthcare. Despite a wide range of efficacious therapies, non-adherence remains a primary driver of suboptimal clinical outcomes. Novel solutions to address this unmet need can be found in behavioral economics. By leveraging our understanding of human decision-making, we may better promote treatment adherence, thereby improving quality-of-life (QOL) and decreasing economic burdens. Behavioral economics has been studied extensively in relation to topics such as health policy and health behaviors, however, there exists a dearth of research applying this approach to chronic diseases and only a handful within dermatology. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review in PubMed to identify articles discussing behavioral economics and its application to treatment adherence in dermatologic patients, with a particular focus on psoriasis, followed by a summary of key ethical considerations. Ultimately, the addressed studies found that such principles can be employed in cost-effective, scalable interventions that improve patient adherence to a range of medical therapies and lifestyle modifications.
Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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